1942 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

A proof-only doubled die reverse, the 1942 Philadelphia Jefferson nickel DDR-001 displays extra thickness on all lettering around the rim and on FIVE CENTS in the cupro-nickel composition. The proof designation is significant — this coin was struck before the mid-1942 switch to the wartime silver alloy, making it a standard 75% copper / 25% nickel proof issue from the final year of regular proof production before the Mint suspended proof sets in 1943 due to wartime priorities. Proof production would not resume until 1950. The VarietyVista catalog assigns UVC-692 and die marriage DMR-039 to this die pair. Extra thickness affecting the complete rim lettering — E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and FIVE CENTS — indicates the secondary hub impression overlapped the primary almost precisely, uniformly bolstering every raised text element on the reverse. Proof specimens from the early 1940s are relatively scarce, and a DDR-001 proof doubles the collecting significance. The mirror fields and frosted devices characteristic of the proof finish provide excellent contrast for examining the thickened lettering under magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-692; DMR-039

External References