1971 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

The primary doubled die obverse for the 1971 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel and one of the strongest-classified business strike DDOs in the early 1970s nickel series, DDO-001 exhibits strong spread on LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, and the date. Die markers UVC-1388 and DMR-002 confirm this working die. The reverse carries Reverse Die Variety RDV-006, the "strong railings" version of Monticello's portico where the front railings are cut with greater depth and clarity than on other reverse die varieties. Strong spread — the highest intensity classification short of "very strong" — means the hub displacement was large enough to produce clearly separated secondary images visible at relatively low magnification, making DDO-001 among the most visually dramatic and readily attributable Jefferson Nickel varieties of its era. The three-element distribution (LIBERTY, star, date) concentrates the doubling on the left and lower portions of Felix Schlag's obverse, with the absence of detectable spread on IN GOD WE TRUST and the FS initials indicating the hub displacement vector's influence diminished before reaching those elements. The low DMR-002 number suggests this was among the earliest die marker records established for 1971 Philadelphia nickel dies. As a business-strike DDO-001 with strong spread and a collectible RDV-006 reverse pairing, this variety offers a compelling combination of visual impact and dual-attribution value. The 1971 nickel was struck in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) at the Philadelphia Mint. Strong spread on LIBERTY and the date is typically discernible at 3x to 5x magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-1388; DMR-002

External References