1946-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Second in the obverse doubled die census for the 1946-D Jefferson nickel, WDDO-002 exhibits Class V (Pivoted Hub) doubling on LIBERTY, the star, and the date. Class V pivoted hub doubling occurs when the hub or die rotates around a fixed pivot point during the hubbing process, creating a curved displacement pattern where the magnitude of doubling increases with distance from the pivot center — elements closest to the pivot appear nearly normal while those farthest from it show the greatest spread. Felix Schlag's left-facing Jefferson portrait, introduced in 1938, provides the LIBERTY inscription along the upper rim, the five-pointed star at the collar, and the date at the lower right where these pivoted doubling effects manifest. Denver struck approximately 45.29 million nickels in 1946, the first full postwar production year after the wartime silver alloy nickels (1942-1945) were replaced by the standard copper-nickel composition. The obverse die markers include a die gouge on the lower portion of Jefferson's queue (ponytail), while the reverse carries a die dot below the L of PLURIBUS — both providing independent confirmation diagnostics for die identification. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D WDDO-002, with expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar, a recognized authority in Jefferson nickel variety research. The pivoted doubling on LIBERTY, the star, and the date suggests the pivot point lay somewhere in the central or lower-left area of the die, with the upper-right and lower-right design elements showing the greatest displacement. Collectors should examine the star and date under 15x magnification, where the Class V rotational spread produces a characteristic curved secondary impression rather than the linear shift seen in Class I offset doubling.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References