1971-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-010

Description

Close Class II distorted hub doubling appears across multiple design elements — LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, the date, and the designer's initials FS — on this 1971 San Francisco Mint proof Jefferson Nickel. Class II doubling, caused by a distortion in the working hub itself, produces a consistent displacement pattern across the entire die face rather than the localized spreading seen in other classes. John A. Wexler attributed this variety with the Wexler Variety ID 1971-S WDDO-010 Proof, confirming its proof status. A key obverse die marker is a die scratch positioned in front of Jefferson's eye, which aids in confirming the specific die pairing. Remarkably, the reverse die used with this obverse is itself a doubled die, listed separately as 1971-S Pr 5c WDDR-010, making this a scarce combination where both the obverse and reverse dies carry hub doubling — a pairing that variety collectors call a "combo" and which commands a premium over single-sided doubled dies. The 1971-S proof Jefferson Nickel was produced exclusively at the San Francisco Mint for inclusion in proof sets, with a total mintage of approximately 3.22 million proofs. The San Francisco facility has served as the primary proof production facility since 1968, and proof dies undergo a more controlled hubbing process than business strike dies, yet Class II distortions in the hub itself transfer to every die made from that hub regardless of striking method.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S WDDO-010 Proof
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References