1937 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Class IV offset hub doubling affects the right side of the date, the large feather, and the short feather above it on this 1937 Philadelphia Mint Buffalo Nickel, attributed by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID 1937 5c WDDO-002. Class IV doubling results from an offset between the hub and die during hubbing, producing a lateral displacement that shifts design elements in a consistent direction without the rotation characteristic of Class V varieties. The obverse die markers are distinctive: a die dot on the front of the chin, circular die scratches on the forehead, a die crack across the long feather, and a diagonal die scratch above the 93 in the date. On the reverse, a series of north-south die scratches appear on the bison's rear end. No cross-references to other attribution systems are known. The 1937 Buffalo Nickel is the penultimate year of James Earle Fraser's iconic design, which would end production in 1938 when the Jefferson Nickel debuted. The 1937 date is also notable for including the famous 1937-D "Three-Legged" Buffalo variety — one of the most celebrated error coins in American numismatics — though WDDO-002 is an entirely separate variety from a different die pair. Two documented doubled die obverses for 1937 is a modest count reflective of the relatively lower research intensity on Buffalo Nickel varieties compared to Lincoln Cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charles M. McCullough Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 5¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References