1944-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Third in the obverse doubled die census for the 1944-D Jefferson nickel, WDDO-003 exhibits close Class II Distorted Hub Doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST — Felix Schlag's motto inscription positioned along the left rim above Jefferson's portrait. Class II doubling involves rotational pivot between hub impressions, and the "close" designation indicates the primary and secondary impressions nearly overlap, producing thickened letter contours rather than dramatically separated doubled images. The 1944-D nickel belongs to the wartime silver alloy series (1942-1945), when standard nickel metal was diverted to military use and five-cent coins were struck in 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese — a composition identified by the large mintmark placed above Monticello's dome on the reverse. The obverse die carries two diagnostic markers: a die scratch in front of Jefferson's nose and a die scratch through the lower portion of the B in LIBERTY. Notably, the reverse is cross-listed as 1944-D 5¢ WDDR-002, making this a dual-attribution die marriage where both obverse and reverse dies carry independent doubled die designations — significantly increasing the variety's collector appeal and providing two separate doubling diagnostics on a single coin. Denver struck approximately 32.31 million wartime silver nickels in 1944, using the distinctive 35% silver planchets. The close Class II doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST requires examination under 15-20x magnification to detect the subtle rotational displacement that thickens the letter strokes, and collectors should first locate the nose and B die scratches to confirm the correct obverse die before evaluating both the obverse and reverse doubling characteristics of this dual-variety die pair.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Die scratch in front of Jefferson's nose; die scratch through lower portion of B of LIBERTY.
• Reverse: Listed as 1944-D 5c WDDR-002.

External References