1943-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

During World War II, the Denver Mint struck Jefferson Nickels on special silver-composition planchets (35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese) to conserve nickel for the war effort, and this 1943-D wartime issue carries a Class II Distorted Hub doubled die reverse designated WDDR-002. The doubling manifests as a nice spread toward the center visible on E PLURIBUS UNUM, with the strongest separation showing on the letters of UNUM, while additional doubling appears on AMERICA along the upper reverse. Class II doubling results from a tilt or pivot of the hub relative to the die during the hubbing process, causing design elements to spread in a consistent direction from a common pivot point rather than uniformly across the entire die surface. Diagnostic die markers confirm attribution: the obverse displays a die crack running north-south on Jefferson's cheek accompanied by a second die crack at the top of his head, while the reverse shows a north-south die scratch inside the small left window of Monticello and a die scratch extending from the E of CENTS to the O of OF. Felix Schlag's original Jefferson Nickel design, introduced in 1938, features Monticello on the reverse with architectural details that respond well to hub doubling. The 1943-D wartime nickel's large mintmark above the dome and silver composition make it a distinctive canvas for variety collecting, and the combination of Class II spread with clear die markers provides collectors with multiple diagnostic confirmation points.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Die crack N/S on Jefferson's cheek; die crack at top of head.
• Reverse: N/S die scratch inside small left window; die scratch from E of CENTS to O of OF.

External References