1963 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-010

Description

Producing a satisfying display of Class II distorted hub doubling, the 1963 Jefferson Nickel WDDR-010 shows doubling on "E PLURIBUS UNUM," "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and the right side of the Monticello building. Class II doubling — the distorted hub type — creates an irregular spread pattern because the hub itself warped or distorted between the multiple impressions required to create a working die, rather than simply rotating or shifting position. The result is doubling that may appear stronger in some design areas than others, with the directional character varying across the die face. Two reverse die markers aid attribution: a die dot positioned below the first U of "UNUM" and another die dot located to the upper left of the first L of "MONTICELLO." These incuse die dots — created when small particles of die steel detach and leave pits in the die face — appear as raised bumps on the struck coin and provide fingerprint-level specificity for confirming the die's identity. No significant obverse die markers have been noted. The 1963 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel had a mintage of 178,851,645, ensuring a broad base of coins from which die varieties could emerge and subsequently be discovered. As the tenth documented WDDR for this date, WDDR-010 reflects the depth of study that dedicated nickel variety researchers have applied to this pre-SMS date. Felix Schlag's original Monticello design, introduced in 1938, was in its twenty-fifth year of continuous production, and the extensive run had given die makers thorough familiarity with the design's hubbing requirements — yet varieties still emerged from the inherent imprecision of multi-impression die manufacturing.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die dot below first U of UNUM; die dot to upper left of first L of MONTICELLO.

External References