1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-018

Description

Struck as a proof issue at the Philadelphia Mint in 1963, WDDO-018 exhibits Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling concentrated on the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. This type of doubling originates from distortion within the working hub during the die production process, creating a spread that is characteristically different from rotated or pivoted hub varieties. The obverse carries a diagnostic die dot to the right of the second T of TRUST, offering a reliable pickup point for attribution. Reverse die markers include a die scratch positioned above the left arch at the roof line of Monticello, together with a distinctive x-shaped die scratch located between the small and long left windows of the building facade. These combined markers allow confident identification even on specimens where the doubling itself may be subtle. Proof Jefferson Nickels of the early 1960s benefit from the mirror-field contrast that makes hub doubling easier to detect than on business strikes, and WDDO-018 is no exception. The 1963 date falls within the final years of proof production at Philadelphia before the temporary suspension caused by the Coinage Act of 1965, placing this variety in a historically bounded window of proof die errors that ended abruptly when proof operations moved to San Francisco.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Die dot to right of second T of TRUST.
• Reverse: Die scratch above left arch at roof line; x-shaped die scratch between small and long left windows.

External References