1943 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Third obverse doubled die documented for the 1943 Jefferson nickel, WDDO-003 exhibits Class V (Pivoted Hub Doubling) spread visible on LIBERTY, the star, and the date on Felix Schlag's wartime nickel obverse. Class V pivoted hub doubling occurs when the hub rotates slightly during the die sinking process, creating a rotational displacement pattern where design elements near the pivot center show minimal separation while elements farther from the pivot display progressively wider spread. The 1943 Jefferson nickel holds particular significance in the wartime series because it was struck in the emergency silver alloy composition — 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese — adopted from mid-1942 through 1945 to conserve nickel for military applications. These "war nickels" carry the distinctive large mintmark (P, D, or S) above Monticello on the reverse, though WDDO-003's classification as a Philadelphia issue means the large P mintmark appears on the reverse. Reverse die markers include a slanted die scratch below the U of UNUM and two vertical die scratches below the LO of MONTICELLO — three distinct linear diagnostics that fingerprint this specific die pair and provide confirmation points independent of the obverse doubling. No significant obverse die markers were noted beyond the Class V doubling itself. Philadelphia struck a substantial quantity of war nickels in 1943, and the silver alloy composition created different striking characteristics compared to the standard copper-nickel alloy, potentially affecting how hub doubling manifested on die surfaces adapted to the wartime planchet. Collectors should examine LIBERTY, the star between LIBERTY and the date, and the date numerals at 10-15x magnification for pivoted displacement, then verify the three reverse die scratches to confirm attribution.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Slanted die scratch below U of UNUM; two vertical die scratches below LO of MONTICELLO.

External References