2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-038

Description

Thirty-eighth in the reverse doubled die census for the 2005 Jefferson nickel Westward Journey series, DDR-038 presents medium spread in a westward direction on the second branch of the right tree on Joe Fitzgerald's "American Bison" reverse design. The Westward Journey program (2004-2005) featured special commemorative designs on both obverse and reverse of the nickel to honor the Lewis and Clark expedition, with the 2005 reverse depicting an American bison reminiscent of Fraser's original Buffalo nickel design but rendered in a more naturalistic style. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-1622 and DMR-041, with Stage A showing the reverse at early die state and noting die gouge dots under the RU of TRUST at EDS, Stage B at MDS (unconfirmed), and Stage C at LDS (unconfirmed). The die gouge dots under RU of TRUST serve as valuable secondary diagnostics for confirming the correct die independent of the doubling characteristic. The comments confirm this as a business strike variety, distinguishing it from Satin Finish specimens produced for 2005 uncirculated mint sets. The high DDR number — 038 — reflects the extensive variety research conducted on the Westward Journey issues, driven by strong collector interest in this limited commemorative series. The medium westward spread on the second branch of the right tree indicates the secondary hub impression is displaced to the left of the primary on the tree branch detail, producing a clearly detectable but not dramatic doubling effect. Collectors should examine the right tree area under 15x magnification, focusing on the second branch where the westward displacement is most pronounced, and verify the die gouge dots beneath RU of TRUST.

Die Markers

• UVC-1622
• DMR-041
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EDS
• Die gouge dots under RU of TRUST – EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kenneth Russell
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References