1936-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Holding the primary reverse doubled die designation for the 1936-D Buffalo nickel, DDR-001 exhibits extra thickness on UNITED STATES — the upper peripheral inscription on James Earle Fraser's reverse depicting a bison standing on a mound above the denomination FIVE CENTS. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-183 and DMR-014, documenting three die stages — Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed) — with all three stages awaiting specimen confirmation. The cataloger's note requesting a specimen for digital photographs and die state information indicates this variety was documented from initial reports rather than comprehensive examination, leaving substantial room for future researchers to expand the die state record. Denver struck approximately 24.81 million Buffalo nickels in 1936, a year when the series was approaching its final two years of production before being replaced by Felix Schlag's Jefferson nickel design in 1938. Extra thickness on UNITED STATES — rather than clearly separated doubled images — indicates the secondary hub impression landed very close to the primary, thickening the letter strokes without producing dramatically visible separation. This type of close doubling requires careful comparison against known normal specimens, as the difference between a genuinely doubled die and normal striking variation can be subtle on well-worn Buffalo nickels where the reverse inscription tends to show soft detail even on undoubled specimens. As DDR-001, this represents the benchmark reverse doubled die for the 1936-D Buffalo nickel, holding the primary position in the variety census for this date-mint combination. Fraser's deeply sculptured bison design with its detailed fur texture and anatomical rendering provides an artistically rich canvas that rewards careful examination under magnification, and the bold UNITED STATES lettering across the upper reverse offers clear letterforms for evaluating extra thickness.

Die Markers

• UVC-183
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References