1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Second in the Wexler-cataloged obverse doubled die census for the 1964 Jefferson nickel, WDDO-002 presents Class II Distorted Hub Doubling with close separation visible on the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST along the left rim of Felix Schlag's portrait. Class II doubling results from rotational displacement between hub impressions — the working hub pivoted slightly around a center point during the secondary hubbing, creating angular displacement proportional to distance from the rotation axis. The close separation qualifier indicates the primary and secondary images nearly overlap, producing thickened letterforms rather than dramatically separated doubles. Obverse die markers include a series of die scratches at the bottom of Jefferson's queue — the tied ponytail visible at the back of his neck — offering a distinctive identification fingerprint for this specific working die. On the reverse, a short die gouge protrudes from the right side of the D in UNITED, providing a secondary diagnostic on the opposite side of the coin. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.79 billion nickels in 1964, the enormous final-year production before mintmarks were temporarily suspended during the nationwide coin shortage. That colossal output required vast inventories of working dies, increasing the statistical likelihood that hub doubling events would survive into production. Cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID: 1964 5¢ WDDO-002, this variety ranks just behind the primary WDDO-001 designation, suggesting it was either the second most prominent or second discovered obverse DDO for this date. Collectors should first locate the die scratches at the base of Jefferson's queue to confirm the correct die, then examine IN GOD WE TRUST under 15-20x magnification for the characteristic Class II rotational thickening, and verify the die gouge at the D of UNITED on the reverse.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Series of die scratches at bottom of Jefferson's queue.
• Reverse: Short die gouge protruding from right side of D of UNITED.

External References