1938 (D) Buffalo Nickel - D/D

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Description

This is the D/D repunched mint mark on the 1938-D Buffalo Nickel. In this era every working die had its mint mark struck in by hand, and when the first blow landed too lightly or slightly off position the punch was simply applied again. The two impressions rarely line up exactly, so the finished die carries one D with a second showing as a ridge, an outline or a set of doubled edges beside it. Because the doubling is in the die rather than the strike, every coin from that die shows it in the same place, which is what separates a repunched mint mark from machine doubling. Examine the mint mark at 10x or more, looking at the extremities of the letter where the offset between the two punchings is widest. The 1938 (D) Buffalo Nickel - D/D represents a Denver Mint issue from the Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 series. The obverse features a Native American portrait that James Earle Fraser described as a composite of several chiefs, including Iron Tail (Lakota) and Two Moons (Cheyenne), and the reverse displays an American bison, traditionally identified as Black Diamond of New York's Central Park menagerie, standing on flat ground. Struck during the Great Depression, when mintages dropped sharply and the United States abandoned the gold standard in 1933. The Denver Mint, which grew from an 1860s gold rush assay office, has served as a major production facility since 1906. Estimated market value ranges from $4 to $31K depending on grade and condition. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #93984.