2017 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-007

Description

Class VIII tilted hub doubling appearing in the upper right corner of the door frame on Monticello's center door above the steps makes this seventh documented doubled die reverse for the 2017 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel a specialized find requiring careful examination of the building's architectural details. Class VIII doubling results from the hub being tilted at a slight angle relative to the die during hubbing, producing a rotational spread that varies in intensity across the die face — typically strongest at the periphery and weakest near the tilt axis. A die chip between the right edge of the building and the F of designer Felix Schlag's initials FS on the reverse, along with two small die gouges to the upper right of the M in UNUM, serve as secondary die markers. No obverse markers were noted. The 2017 Jefferson Nickel features the Return to Monticello reverse that was reintroduced in 2006 after the 2004-2005 Westward Journey designs, with Jamie Franki's updated rendition of Schlag's original Monticello view. The door frame area where this doubling appears is a particularly small and detailed portion of the design, making attribution challenging without at least 10x magnification. Seven documented DDR varieties for the 2017-P nickel demonstrates that modern die variety researchers continue examining current coinage with systematic thoroughness, finding varieties in design areas that casual observers would never inspect.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die chip between right edge of building and F of designer's initials FS; two small die gouges to upper right of M of UNUM.

External References