1971-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-025

Description

Timothy Wissert attributed WDDO-025 for the 1971-S proof Jefferson nickel, a Class II distorted hub doubling producing a very close spread on LIBERTY, the star, the date, the designer's initials FS, and IN GOD WE TRUST. The "very close" spread qualifier means separation between primary and secondary images is tight, typically requiring 10x or higher magnification to resolve, but the breadth of the affected elements — spanning the full left-to-top arc of the obverse — confirms a genuine hub anomaly rather than localized strike doubling. A small die gouge between the upper portions of the G and O in GOD serves as the obverse die marker. Notably, the reverse of this die pair is itself a doubled die, cataloged as 1971-S Pr 5c WDDR-034, making WDDO-025 specimens dual-variety proof nickels carrying both obverse and reverse hub doubling. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1971-S WDDO-025 Proof, this variety originated from San Francisco's 3,220,733 proof set production in 1971. The dual DDO/DDR nature suggests that either both dies in this pair independently received misaligned hub impressions, or the working hub itself carried anomalies that transferred to both die orientations. The 1971-S proof Jefferson nickel census contains dozens of documented DDO entries, reflecting the prolific variety output of San Francisco's early-1970s proof operations, and WDDO-025 stands among them as a variety with the added appeal of its reverse companion DDR — a pairing that collectors of dual-variety coins specifically seek out for its doubled-on-both-sides character.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S WDDO-025 Proof
• Expert attribution by Timothy Wissert

External References