1967 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-006

Description

Attributed by John A. Wexler himself, this Special Mint Set (SMS) Jefferson Nickel carries Class II Distorted Hub Doubling that manifests as close doubling on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA increasing from left to right. The 1967 SMS designation is significant — during 1965-1967, the U.S. Mint suspended production of standard proof sets and instead offered Special Mint Sets with coins struck on specially selected planchets using dies with a finish quality between business strike and proof. Reverse die markers include a die scratch across the lower portion of the left arch and a die gouge below the first A of AMERICA, diagnostics that persist across all known specimens of this die pairing. The obverse die is independently cataloged as 1967 SMS 5¢ WDDO-002, establishing this as a die marriage where both sides carry documented doubled die varieties. Cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID: 1967 WDDR-006 SMS, this variety occupies an unusual niche — SMS coins are neither business strikes nor proofs but occupy a middle ground in both production quality and collector interest, making doubled dies from this three-year transitional period particularly distinctive.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• Wexler Variety ID: 1967 WDDR-006 SMS
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References