1942 (S) Jefferson Nickel - Wartime Silver Alloy - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Wartime San Francisco production provides the context for WDDO-002, a Class II distorted hub doubling on the 1942-S Jefferson nickel attributed by Brian A. Ribar. The doubling shows on IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the star, and the date — a comprehensive spread across the obverse that indicates the hub distortion affected a wide swath of the die face during the secondary impression. Obverse die markers include a die crack at the top of Jefferson's head, a progressive failure feature that helps establish die state, and die scratches running through the BER of LIBERTY. The reverse provides additional confirmation points: a die scratch between the I and V of FIVE, and a slanted die scratch at the bottom of the T in MONTICELLO. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1942-S WDDO-002, this variety emerged during a pivotal year for the Jefferson nickel series. San Francisco struck 32,900,000 nickels in 1942, all in the wartime silver alloy (35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese) adopted late that year to conserve nickel for military use. San Francisco struck no copper-nickel nickels in 1942, so WDDO-002 is a war-alloy coin with the large S mintmark above Monticello on the reverse. Felix Schlag's design had been in production since only 1938, making 1942 a relatively early year in the series, and the San Francisco die shop's production of this doubled die documents that hub alignment challenges existed at the facility from the series' earliest years. The die crack at Jefferson's head crown suggests this die saw significant service before retirement, potentially producing a substantial number of WDDO-002 specimens.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942-S WDDO-002

External References