1955 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-006

Description

Class II Distorted Hub Doubling produces a nice spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM with closer doubling on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on this 1955 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel reverse, cataloged as WDDR-006. The 1955 date is one of the most famous in all numismatics because of the spectacular 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent, but Jefferson Nickel production that same year generated its own catalog of doubled die varieties, including this reverse example. Obverse die markers include a die scratch to the left of the E of LIBERTY, while the reverse carries three diagnostics: a slanted die gouge above the small left window, a die dot between the long and small left windows, and a slanted die scratch to the lower right of the small right window — all positioned around the Monticello facade's architectural details. Philadelphia struck 8,266,200 Jefferson Nickels in 1955, a relatively low mintage that makes this date modestly scarce in the series. The Class II distortion mechanism indicates the hub surface experienced slight dimensional change between impressions, creating a spread pattern that differs from the rotational displacement of Class V pivoted doubling. The progressive doubling gradient — stronger on E PLURIBUS UNUM than on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — maps the distortion field across the die face, with maximum displacement concentrated in the upper reverse lettering zone.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Die scratch to left of E of LIBERTY.
• Reverse: Slanted die gouge above small left window; die dot between long and small left windows; slanted die scratch to lower right of small right window.

External References