2023 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Second in the 2023-P Jefferson Nickel DDR catalog and documented by Brian A. Ribar, WDDR-002 presents Class VIII (Tilted Hub Doubling) that manifests most visibly above the top step of Monticello's center stairs and on the upper portions of the letters N, T, I, C, and E in MONTICELLO. Class VIII hub tilting creates a distinctive diagnostic pattern: because the hub contacts the die at a non-parallel angle, the doubling intensity varies across the die face in a way that maps directly to the tilt axis, with maximum displacement on one side and minimal displacement on the other. On WDDR-002, the concentration of visible doubling at the center steps and the NTICE letter group places the maximum displacement zone in the lower-center area of the reverse. Obverse die markers include a die gouge between the D of GOD and the W of WE, plus an S-shaped die gouge to the lower right of Jefferson's mouth — the S-shaped contour being an unusual and highly distinctive marker that provides rapid visual confirmation. Reverse markers include a die gouge in the field below the C of CENTS and a die gouge between the C and E of MONTICELLO. Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 2023-P WDDR-002, this early-catalog-number variety likely represents one of the first doubled die reverses discovered for the 2023-P nickel, and its Class VIII classification with strong architectural-detail doubling makes it a particularly instructive example of tilted hub mechanics for variety study.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 2023-P WDDR-002
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References