1945-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Holding the primary DDR designation for the 1945-D Jefferson nickel, DDR-001 documents light spread across multiple reverse inscription elements: upper PLURIBUS UNUM, AMERICA, CENTS, and the last O of MONTICELLO. Felix Schlag's reverse depiction of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate provides numerous lettered elements for doubling detection, and the distribution of affected areas across both the upper motto and the building name suggests a broad hub misalignment rather than a localized distortion. Die markers UVC-798 and DMR-065 place this variety within the VarietyVista classification framework, with the high DMR number indicating extensive die marriage documentation for the 1945-D date. Denver produced approximately 37.1 million wartime silver-alloy nickels in 1945, the final year of the emergency 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese composition adopted in mid-1942 to conserve nickel for military armor plating. The large D mintmark above Monticello's dome distinguishes the wartime silver alloy from standard cupro-nickel issues. As DDR-001, this represents the first and presumably most significant doubled die reverse identified for the date, though the light designation indicates the doubling requires careful examination under magnification. The spread on the last O of MONTICELLO provides a particularly useful diagnostic, as the circular letter geometry clearly reveals any secondary impression that might be ambiguous on more angular letterforms. Collectors should note the request for new color digital photos associated with this variety, indicating that improved reference images would benefit the attribution community.

Die Markers

• UVC-798; DMR-065

External References