1961 Doubled Working Hub Reverse WWHR-004

Description

Fourth and final documented doubled working hub reverse for the 1961 Jefferson Nickel, completing the quartet that makes this date one of the most prolific years for hub-level reverse doubling in the entire Jefferson Nickel series. Attributed by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID: 1961 Working Hub Reverse 4 (WWHR-004), this variety joins WWHR-001, WWHR-002, and WWHR-003 in documenting four separate instances where the Monticello reverse was doubled during the working hub manufacturing stage. Four hub-level doubling events from one year are remarkable because each represents a distinct working hub — a separate steel cylinder into which the master die was impressed at least twice with detectable misalignment. The cascading nature of hub doubling means that each of these four hubs could have spawned multiple working dies, all carrying identical doubling inherited from their parent hub. Collectively, these four WWHRs may account for a substantial portion of the 1961 die complement used at Philadelphia for nickel production. The 1961 Jefferson Nickel was produced during a period of rising coin demand that would culminate in the coin shortage of 1964-65, and the Mint's die shop was manufacturing hubs at pace to support production — conditions where the probability of occasional hub-level doubling was elevated by the sheer volume of hubs being produced.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1961 Working Hub Reverse 4 (WWHR-004)
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References