1956 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

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Verified LegacyDoubled Die Obverse

Market Value

N/A

Rarity Index

N/A

Discovery Date

1956

Last Sold

N/A

Description

The first-cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1956 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel, DDO-001 presents light spread on LIBERTY, the five-pointed star to the left of the date, and the date itself. Die markers UVC-916 and DMR-003 provide the attribution fingerprint. The 1956 nickel was produced during the post-war economic boom, a period of strong demand for circulating coinage that generated high mintages and, consequently, numerous working dies — each representing a potential doubled die if hubbing went imperfectly. As DDO-001, this variety anchors the catalog sequence for the date. Felix Schlag won a 1938 public design competition to create the Jefferson Nickel, and his obverse portrait positions LIBERTY in an arcing inscription where even light hub displacement creates detectable letter thickening. The star's five precise points make it especially useful as a diagnostic tool: any rotational or translational hub offset will slightly shift the secondary star image relative to the primary, creating visible misalignment at the tips. UVC-916 and DMR-003 allow collectors to verify the working die through supplementary characteristics beyond the doubling itself.