1945-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Dual variety status elevates DDO-002 of the 1945-D wartime silver Jefferson Nickel, which pairs the obverse doubled die with RPM-040 on the reverse — the fortieth documented repunched mintmark for this date and mint. Extra thickness on IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the star, and the date constitutes the obverse doubling, classified as Class VI distorted hub doubling. Die markers reflect the dual nature: RPM-040 appears alongside UVC-304 and DMR-045, confirming the reverse mintmark variety as an integral component of this die pairing. Denver struck 37.1 million wartime silver nickels in 1945, the final year of the 35% silver alloy composition that replaced standard cupro-nickel during the war. The staggeringly high RPM count — forty documented repunched mintmarks for a single date — speaks to the challenging conditions of wartime die preparation, where the large D mintmark placed above Monticello's dome was hand-punched into each working die with a steel punch and mallet. As DDO-002, this is the second documented doubled die obverse for the 1945-D, and the concurrent RPM-040 provides an immediate screening tool: collectors can first check the mintmark for repunching, then examine the obverse for the extra thickness that confirms the DDO-002 attribution. Wartime silver nickel dual varieties combine composition interest with die variety complexity.

Die Markers

• RPM-040; UVC-304; DMR-045; RPM-040

External References