1939 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-006

Description

From the second year of Jefferson Nickel production, this sixth doubled die reverse carries VarietyVista codes UVC-619 and DMR-015 and exhibits medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM. The reverse is identified as RDV-001 — the Wavy Steps variety, a specific reverse die design configuration recognizable by an undulating quality in the steps of the Monticello building — and VarietyVista notes that this same reverse die was also used to produce the 1940 DDR-002, indicating the die survived from one production year into the next. Die crossover between calendar years was common practice at the Mint, where serviceable dies would continue in use regardless of the date on the obverse die with which they were paired. Three die stages are tracked: Stage A at Early Die State remains unconfirmed, Stage B at Mid-Die State is unconfirmed, and Stage C documents a light die scratch running Northeast from the lower right tall window at Late Die State with the obverse also at LDS. The 1939 Jefferson Nickel holds a special place in the series as the second year of Felix Schlag's design, which had debuted in 1938 after Schlag won a public design competition. The Wavy Steps reverse die variety combined with medium hub doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM makes DDR-006 a multi-layered attribution: collectors can identify both the specific reverse die design (RDV-001) and the hub doubling pattern, with the added interest of knowing this die continued into 1940 production. The early Jefferson Nickel years of 1938-1939 are especially popular with variety collectors who value the inaugural period of a long-running design.

Die Markers

• UVC-619
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Light die scratch Northeast from lower Right tall window – LDS
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by S. Mallory
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References