2016 VDDR VDDR-002

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die marker codes listed as UVC-???? and DMR-00? (indicating the variety was documented before unique variety codes were fully assigned), this 2016 Jefferson Nickel VDDR-002 displays a light counterclockwise spread manifesting as an extra central doorway roof on the Monticello building — a subtle but distinctive feature where hub displacement created a secondary impression of the doorway pediment slightly offset from the primary, producing the appearance of a doubled or shadowed roofline above the main entrance to Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate. Three documented die stages track this die's progression: Stage A shows the reverse at early die state (EDS) with a die scratch running south in the field next to Jefferson's left eye on the obverse; Stage B at early-to-mid die state (EMDS) introduces a small die chip in the lower left archway, with the obverse also at EMDS; and Stage C is late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The die scratch near the eye in Stage A provides an early-state identification marker, while the archway die chip in Stage B signals advancing deterioration. The Jefferson Nickel in 2016 was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter. The current obverse features Jamie Franki's forward-facing Jefferson portrait introduced in 2006, while the Monticello reverse is a modified restoration of Felix Schlag's original 1938 design. The counterclockwise spread direction on the central doorway roof creates a particularly interesting visual effect on the Monticello design because the building's classical Palladian architecture — with its symmetrical pediment and columned portico — makes even subtle angular displacement visually apparent when compared to the expected bilateral symmetry of the structure. The unassigned UVC and DMR codes suggest this variety was recently identified and awaits full cataloging integration.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-00?
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EDS
• Die scratch South in field next to Left eye – EDS
• Stage B:
• Small die chip in lower Left archway – EMDS
• Obverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Umbarger
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References