2013 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Carrying the primary WDDO designation for the 2013 Jefferson nickel, WDDO-001 exhibits Class VIII (Tilted Hub) doubling on the lower right side of Jefferson's nose — a subtle but confirmable diagnostic on the forward-facing portrait designed by Jamie Franki that has appeared on the nickel obverse since 2006. Class VIII doubling results from the hub tilting during the die-sinking process, creating a pivot-point displacement where one side of the design receives a deeper or offset impression than the other. The tilted hub mechanism tends to produce localized doubling effects concentrated around the tilt axis, and the lower right portion of Jefferson's prominent nose sits in a zone where even modest hub tilt becomes detectible against the smooth facial contours. Obverse die markers include a short die gouge to the left of the N in IN, while the reverse carries a die gouge inside the small right window of the Monticello building. These die-specific diagnostics provide essential secondary confirmation for attributors verifying they are examining the correct die pair. The 2013 Jefferson nickel was struck at Philadelphia (no mintmark) with a mintage of approximately 1.22 billion coins, reflecting the continued strong demand for circulating five-cent pieces. As WDDO-001, this represents the first and most notable obverse doubled die documented for the 2013 Philadelphia nickel. Collectors should examine the lower right contour of Jefferson's nose under 15-20x magnification with raking illumination, looking for a secondary profile line displaced from the primary nose contour, then confirm the die gouge near the N of IN on the obverse and the window gouge on the reverse.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Short die gouge to left of N of IN.
• Reverse: Die gouge inside small right window.

External References