1961 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-009

Description

Exhibiting Class II distorted hub doubling, WDDR-009 on the 1961 Jefferson Nickel presents a nice spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIVE CENTS, and MON of MONTICELLO, with all three areas showing decreasing intensity from left to right, complemented by a closer spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM that also decreases left to right. Die markers include a slanted die scratch from the right side of Y of LIBERTY toward the rim on the obverse, and a series of die gouges to the lower right of the third column on the reverse Monticello facade. The consistent left-to-right decrease across all affected inscriptions indicates the hub distortion vector oriented such that maximum displacement occurred at the left side of the die face, progressively diminishing rightward — the mirror opposite of varieties where spread increases left to right, and diagnostically significant because it constrains the geometry of the hub flexure event that produced this die. The involvement of MON from MONTICELLO alongside UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and FIVE CENTS demonstrates that the hub displacement affected multiple zones of Felix Schlag's reverse design spanning from the building name below the structure through the rim inscriptions above. The 1961 Jefferson Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint (no mintmark) in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.00 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter, during the post-war era of high-volume nickel production. The reverse die gouges near the third column of Monticello's portico provide a reliable die identification marker when examining candidates under 7x to 10x magnification.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Slanted die scratch from right side of Y of LIBERTY toward rim.
• Reverse: Series of die gouges to lower right of third column.

External References