2023 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-021

Description

Attributed by Brian A. Ribar and cross-referenced as Wexler 2023-P WDDR-021, this Jefferson Nickel reverse displays Class VIII Tilted Hub Doubling affecting multiple architectural elements of Felix Schlag's Monticello facade. The doubling is visible on the upper and lower portions of the large semicircular window above the steps, the tops of all four columns, the tops of all three doors, and the triangle above the center door — a remarkably comprehensive distribution across the building's central architectural features that maps the displacement zone of the tilted hub axis. Die markers on the reverse include a die gouge to the lower right of the S of CENTS, a die gouge in the field below the T of MONTICELLO, a die gouge below the N of UNUM, and a die gouge above the ER of AMERICA — four distinct reverse gouges providing a robust attribution fingerprint. No obverse die markers were noted. The 2023-P Jefferson Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in standard copper-nickel composition — 75% copper and 25% nickel — weighing 5.0 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm. As WDDR-021, this variety holds a relatively early catalog position among the 2023-P doubled die reverses, a date that has yielded a substantial cluster of Class VIII varieties reflecting the tilted hub mechanism that appears to have affected multiple working dies in the 2023 production run. The breadth of affected elements — spanning windows, columns, doors, and the pediment triangle — distinguishes this from more localized doubled dies and provides multiple checkpoint locations for confirmation, with the large semicircular window offering the most dramatic visual evidence of the tilt-induced displacement.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 2023-P WDDR-021
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References