1963-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-006

Description

Attributed by Brian A. Ribar and cataloged as 1963-D WDDR-006, this Class II (Distorted Hub Doubling) doubled die reverse variety appears on a 1963-D Jefferson nickel struck at the Denver Mint. This listing was formerly designated as 1963-D WDDR-013 before being renumbered to replace the original WDDR-006, which was delisted because it was too minor. The Jefferson nickel is composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter. Denver produced 276,829,460 Jefferson nickels in 1963, a substantial production run in the final full year before the coin shortage crisis that led to the elimination of mintmarks and proof production in 1965. The Class II distorted hub doubling on WDDR-006 produces close doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM, with the spread increasing from left to right across the inscription. This left-to-right directional progression is diagnostic of the rotational component in Class II distortion, where one side of the hub pivots relative to the other during the hubbing process. No obverse die markers have been noted. Reverse die markers include heavy slanted die scratches to the upper left of the left porch of Monticello and a slanted die scratch through the first U of UNUM. Brian A. Ribar's attribution of this variety and the subsequent renumbering within the Wexler catalog demonstrate the ongoing curation process that keeps the doubled die reference current, consolidating listings and replacing delisted varieties with more significant newly documented examples to maintain catalog coherence and usefulness for collectors.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1963-D WDDR-006
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References