1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-035

Description

Attributed by Jason Taylor and cataloged under Wexler reference 1964 WDDO-035 Proof, this Jefferson Nickel variety has a complex cataloging history: it was formerly listed as WDDO-039 and replaces the original WDDO-035 designation, which was delisted because the doubling was judged too minor for continued listing. The replacement variety displays Class II (Distorted Hub Doubling) spread on IN GOD WE TRUST, the principal diagnostic inscription on the obverse. Obverse die markers include die scratches positioned to the left of the upper portion of the I and above the N of IN, plus a die scratch between the upper portions of the G and O of GOD — features that provide multiple attribution checkpoints concentrated in the motto area where the doubling itself appears. On the reverse, this die is listed as carrying WWHR-003 (Wexler Working Hub Reverse designation), connecting this variety to a broader die family produced from a specific working hub. The 1964 proof Jefferson Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-nickel alloy (75% Cu, 25% Ni), weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter. The proof production for 1964 was massive — 3,950,762 proof sets — reflecting peak demand before the Mint's proof operations were transferred to San Francisco the following year. Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse and left-facing Jefferson portrait obverse frame this variety within the original design type that served from 1938 through 2003. The renumbering from WDDO-039 to WDDO-035 illustrates the dynamic nature of variety cataloging, where delistings create vacancies that are subsequently filled by reassigned varieties to maintain catalog sequence integrity.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jason Taylor
• Wexler Variety ID: 1964 WDDO-035 Proof
• Expert attribution by Jason Taylor

External References