1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-027

Description

Attributed by Brian A. Ribar and cross-referenced as Wexler 1964 WDDO-027 Proof, this proof Jefferson Nickel obverse displays Class V Pivoted Hub Doubling with close doubling visible on LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, and the date. Like its catalog neighbor WDDO-032, this variety was renumbered — formerly listed as WDDO-041, it replaces the original WDDO-027 listing which was delisted as too minor. The Class V pivoted mechanism produces doubling that radiates from a fixed pivot point, and the affected elements — LIBERTY on the left side of the coin, the star above, and the date below — describe an arc suggesting the pivot point was located near the center-right of the obverse design. Die markers include a small die dot at the top of Jefferson's forehead near the hairline on the obverse and a short die gouge to the lower right of the F of OF on the reverse. The 1964 proof Jefferson Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 75% copper and 25% nickel, weighing 5.0 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm. The concentration of multiple WDDO varieties on 1964 proof Jefferson Nickels reflects the high volume of proof production in the final Philadelphia proof year, where the Mint produced approximately 3.95 million proof sets, generating a correspondingly large working die population. Felix Schlag's original 1938 design was approaching its 26th year of production in 1964, and the familiar die geometry had been thoroughly studied by this date, making the close Class V doubling on LIBERTY and the date diagnostically significant despite its subtle magnitude. The forehead die dot provides a die-specific identifier independent of the doubling pattern.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1964 WDDO-027 Proof
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References