Unusually thick lettering, 1983 P Jefferson Nickel

Came across an unusual nickel. Could anyone explain what caused this?

Thanks, as always!



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Die Deterioration - badly worn die.

 

Ditto!

 

There is a person with your name that wrote columns in the Numismatist magazine and conserves coins for NCS. Are you related. He lives in Florida?

 

Agree with the others.
I do enjoy finding coins that the dies that were used to strike it had gone well past very late die state. Some crazy things can happen to the design on these coins ! Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks for your replies!

I just found another coin that's probably either strike doubling or die deterioration; what do you guys think? I'm still learning to identify worthless doubling and would guess this is MD over die deterioration, but not sure. Looking forward to your answers!

 

Looks like DDD with some MD thrown in there!!

 

Thanks for the help! One more I found; this one definitely looks a little different than the others to me. Any idea?

 

Ditto,

 

The same...

 

Thanks.

Okay, so there's one more coin with doubling that is markedly different than my previous examples; if this one is DDD also, I'll quit wasting everyone's time and put some more self-study into differentiating the two.

1956:

 

It's a worn die too. Notice the rough texture in the field. Classic sign of a die getting old and frail.

 

Thanks. Okay, I'm not saying this is a doubled die, but it doesn't look like DDD to me; is it MD?

 

On all of your nickels you will notice doubling on both sides of the letters. That is a classic sign of die deterioration. If it was a doubled die it would double on one direction only. Here is a link to nickel doubled die listings. You might want to study these so you will know what to look for.
https://www2.briansvarietycoins.com/listings

 

Tomfiggy, the looking for a particular spread advice was quite eye-opening, but I am using that website -- namely for the coin you replied about.

I don't see how these two coins aren't similar side-by-side: http://puu.sh/qA6OG/93f1d90abd.jpg

Could you please point out the differences so I know what to look for?

 

Which one are you talking about now? Similar does not count. It has to be exactly the same.

 

Compare:

Brian's Variety Image:


My Coin:

 

Here is a page that will help you to learn the difference.

http://doubleddie.com/144843.html

 

I've read it and I still don't understand the difference between the two coins. They both show doubling (albeit mine is more clearly 3 ridges under a loupe than with the USB microscope) in the same places to the same amount.

I'm not saying you're wrong that it's not, but I definitely don't understand why it isn't.

Here is another coin that looks doubled die to me and looks like 1968-D WDDO1. Appreciate any input and explanations.

 

First of all the doubling on Brians site for the 1968D is rotated from left to right. Yours is spread South on the bottom of the letters. Your doubling is flat and shelf like. The doubled die on Brians site shows the doubled part the same height as the rest of the letters with a separation line in between.
I know it is confusing. It took me a long time (more than a year) to finally "get it". I still get fooled and post questions about worthless doubling