1939 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-008

Description

Paired with the historically significant "Reverse of 1940" design variant, this 1939 Jefferson Nickel DDR-008 shows medium-spread doubling with extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM, FIVE CENTS, ELLO of MONTICELLO, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-621 and DMR-017, the reverse is identified as RDV-002, the "Straight Steps" variant where Monticello's steps appear straight rather than curved as on the original 1938-1939 dies. Three die states are documented: Stage A in Early Die State, Stage B in Mid Die State (unconfirmed), and Stage C in Late Die State. The Reverse of 1940 reflects a design modification Felix Schlag made to Monticello after the first year, and dies bearing this revised reverse with 1939-dated obverses represent a transitional combination. The dual attribution as both a doubled die reverse and a design variant makes DDR-008 particularly appealing to collectors who value multiple layers of numismatic significance. Schlag's Jefferson Nickel debuted in 1938 after winning a public design competition, and the early years saw ongoing refinements to the reverse. Philadelphia produced over one hundred twenty million nickels in 1939.

Die Markers

• UVC-621
• DMR-017
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References