1942 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

A key composition distinction sets DDR-002 apart: despite its catalog placement under the wartime silver alloy parent, the cupro-nickel notation confirms this doubled die reverse was struck on the standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel), not the wartime silver alloy (35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese) that Philadelphia began producing partway through 1942. Regular copper-nickel nickels were struck early in the year before the wartime program commenced, making DDR-002 a product of that pre-wartime run. Medium spread appears on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and FIVE CENTS, increasing left to right — a directional gradient consistent with pivoted hub doubling. Die markers UVC-693 and DMR-040 confirm the working die. Collectors should begin examination at the rightmost elements where the medium spread is strongest, then work leftward to observe gradual diminishment. The composition can be confirmed visually — copper-nickel 1942 nickels lack the large P mintmark above Monticello that identifies wartime silver issues — or by weight (5.0g vs. 5.67g for silver).

Die Markers

• UVC-693; DMR-040

External References