1956 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-031

Description

Attributed by Brian A. Ribar and cataloged under the Wexler system as 1956 WDDR-031, this Jefferson Nickel reverse die presents a textbook Class II distorted hub doubling pattern with its strongest expression on E PLURIBUS UNUM and STATES OF AMERICA. Class II doubling arises from a tilted or warped hub rather than a shifted one, producing distortion-based spread that varies in magnitude across the die face as the angular displacement between hub and die increases with distance from the contact axis. On this particular die, the close spread visible on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the national inscription indicates the tilt axis ran roughly perpendicular to those legend areas, maximizing the distortion footprint where the hub surface deviated most from parallel contact with the die. Obverse die markers include slanted die scratches extending to the lower left of Jefferson's nose and a die scratch positioned below the left leg of the R in LIBERTY — incidental tooling marks that fingerprint this specific obverse working die and serve as independent confirmation points beyond the doubling itself. The reverse carries its own set of identifying marks: slanted die scratches above VE of FIVE and a slanted die scratch above the N of CENTS, providing a second layer of attribution certainty. These directionally consistent slanted scratches on both dies suggest similar workshop handling or polishing techniques applied during die preparation at the Philadelphia Mint. Struck in the standard 75% copper / 25% nickel composition at 5 grams, the 1956 Jefferson Nickel's reverse design features Felix Schlag's rendering of Monticello flanked by the affected inscriptions. Examination under 7x to 10x magnification with angled lighting best reveals the Class II distortion spread.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1956 WDDR-031
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References