1943-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-013

Description

The highest-numbered doubled die obverse currently cataloged for the 1943-S wartime Jefferson Nickel, DDO-013 closes out the known sequence with light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, and the date. Die markers UVC-760 and DMR-040 confirm this working die — and UVC-760's immediate succession from UVC-759 (DDO-012) suggests the two dies were documented as a pair during the same research effort. The existence of thirteen distinct DDO varieties for a single date-mint combination is extraordinary by any series' standards and speaks to the scale of the San Francisco Mint's wartime nickel production. Each variety represents a separate working die that received a flawed hub impression, and the statistical probability of thirteen such events occurring in one production run implies a very large total die count. Struck in the wartime silver alloy (35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese) with the large S mintmark above Monticello's dome, the 1943-S nickel is immediately recognizable by composition and mintmark placement. Whether additional DDO varieties beyond DDO-013 will eventually be documented depends on continued die study by researchers, but the current catalog already represents one of the most thoroughly documented single-issue DDO populations in all of United States numismatics.

Die Markers

• UVC-760; DMR-040

External References