1938 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-010

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-590 with die-marriage reference DMR-012, this doubled die obverse appears on the inaugural 1938 Jefferson Nickel — the first year of Felix Schlag's design that replaced the Buffalo Nickel. The obverse displays light spread on WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the star, and the date, with doubling distributed across multiple widely spaced elements confirming a hub-doubling event affecting a broad area of the die face. Three die stages document the die's progression. Stage A shows both obverse and reverse in early die state, preserving the sharpest doubling before accumulated wear softened the surface. Stage B represents mid-die state, though confirmation remains pending. Stage C shows both sides in late die state, where fatigue may reduce visibility of the lighter doubling. First-year Jefferson Nickels hold particular appeal for variety collectors because the Mint was working with newly prepared hubs and master dies, and the learning curve associated with a new design sometimes produced hub-doubling events at rates different from established series. Doubled die varieties from 1938 document the earliest die production for this long-running series.

Die Markers

• UVC-590
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References