2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-027

Description

Twenty-seventh in the reverse doubled die census for the 2005 Jefferson nickel Westward Journey "American Bison" design, DDR-027 displays strong spread under the second and third branches of the right tree and westward on the trunk. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-1585 and DMR-030, tracking three die stages: Stage A where both reverse and obverse surfaces show early die state characteristics, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The commentary notes SMS (Satin Finish) and that this variety can be found in 2005 Mint Sets — distinguishing it from proof or standard business strike production. The 2005 Westward Journey "American Bison" reverse, designed by Jamie Franki and sculpted by Norman E. Nemeth, depicted an American bison in profile — an homage to James Earle Fraser's Buffalo nickel — with the denomination FIVE CENTS below and a landscape of trees and grasses behind the animal. The right tree in the background composition presents detailed branching that serves as an excellent diagnostic surface for detecting hub doubling, and the strong spread classification indicates the doubling is readily visible under moderate magnification without requiring extreme enlargement. Westward displacement on the trunk means the secondary hub impression landed to the left of the primary (from the coin's perspective), and the localization under specific branches suggests the offset affected only certain portions of the design that were positioned at the right distance and angle from the displacement axis. The SMS production process used specially burnished dies and planchets to create a satin finish distinct from both proof and business strikes, and the enhanced surface quality of satin finish specimens can actually make doubled die detection easier by reducing the luster interference that sometimes obscures subtle doubling on business strikes. Collectors should examine specimens from 2005 Mint Sets under 10-15x magnification, focusing on the second and third branches of the right-hand tree and the trunk immediately below them.

Die Markers

• UVC-1585
• DMR-030
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References