1969-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Class II Distorted Hub Doubling produces a very close spread on the designer's initials FS (Felix Schlag) on this 1969-S Jefferson Nickel, the second cataloged doubled die obverse for the San Francisco issue. Unlike the dramatic 1969-S Lincoln Cent DDO that achieved legendary status among error collectors, this Jefferson Nickel variety shows subtle doubling limited to the small designer's initials — a testament to the systematic cataloging that documents even minor hub anomalies. The obverse carries no significant die markers, but the reverse provides three diagnostic scratches: a short slanted die scratch inside the left small window, a slanted die scratch extending from the top right side of the left small window, and a short slanted die scratch extending from the top left side of the right small window on Monticello. San Francisco struck 202,807,500 Jefferson Nickels in 1969, transitioning its role from circulation strike production toward the proof-only mandate that would begin for certain denominations in subsequent years. The close Class II spread on designer's initials requires careful examination under at least 10x magnification, as the doubling margin is narrow enough to be mistaken for die deterioration without proper attribution reference images. The three reverse window die scratches offer the most efficient initial screening method for identifying the specific die pair.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Short slanted die scratch inside left small window; slanted die scratch extending from top right side of left small window; short slanted die scratch extending from top left side of right small window.

External References