1938 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

As the first-cataloged doubled die reverse for the inaugural year of the Jefferson Nickel series, DDR-001 on the 1938 Philadelphia issue holds foundational significance for Jefferson nickel variety collectors. Light spread appears on E PLURIBUS UNUM and AMERICA on Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse, documented through die markers UVC-594 and DMR-016. The 1938 date launched the Jefferson Nickel, replacing James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel after a twenty-five-year run. Schlag won a public design competition for the new coin, and his Monticello reverse — depicting Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate — became one of the most enduring images in American coinage. DDR-001 demonstrates that hub doubling affected Jefferson Nickel dies from the very first year of production. The light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and AMERICA involves the two longest inscriptions on the reverse, both curving above and around Monticello in arcs where die curvature influences how doubling manifests at different letter positions. UVC-594 and DMR-016 provide the die-specific markers needed for confirmation. The 1938 nickel was struck in standard copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) without a mintmark.

Die Markers

• UVC-594; DMR-016

External References