1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-021

Description

Struck in the wartime silver alloy of 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese mandated for Jefferson Nickels from 1942 through 1945, the 1943 Philadelphia Mint DDO-021 carries a distinctive composition that distinguishes these issues from their standard copper-nickel counterparts. Cataloged as UVC-732 and DMR-095, die stage progression documents three stages: Stage A represents an unconfirmed early die state. Stage B is an unconfirmed mid-die-state. Stage C reaches late die state with progressive die deterioration visible across the obverse. The large mint mark above Monticello on the reverse, a hallmark of all wartime Jefferson Nickels, immediately identifies this as a silver-composition issue. The wartime alloy was adopted to conserve nickel for military applications, and these silver-bearing nickels remain popular with collectors both for their precious metal content and their historical connection to World War II production changes. The UVC-732 and DMR-095 catalog numbers track this variety within the VarietyVista system for the wartime Philadelphia Mint nickel production.

Die Markers

• UVC-732
• DMR-095
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Light die clash through upper knot – LDS
• Light die scratches Southeast from mintmark – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References