What it is
A Jefferson nickel with strong doubling on the reverse lettering, popularly called the "Doubled Monticello".
How to identify it
- MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS show strong doubling.
- Lighter doubling may show on other reverse lettering.
- Philadelphia, so no mint mark.
A 5x to 10x loupe and good, angled light make the details much easier to see. For anything that looks genuine, a digital scale and a certified comparison coin help.
What gets mistaken for it
Minor doubling from strike or die wear is common on early Jefferson nickels. The genuine variety has distinct, separated letters.
The regular 1939 coin
The variety appears on the 1939 Jefferson Nickel, which had a total mintage of 120,615,000. That figure counts the whole issue, so it does not tell you how many coins show the variety.
How the Doubled Monticello was made
In 1939 the Jefferson nickel was only in its second year. Felix Schlag's design of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, was struck from reverse dies made with several impressions from the hub. On one Philadelphia reverse die a later impression landed out of register, doubling the lettering. The coins it struck have a strongly doubled MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS, with doubling on other lettering too.
The die was paired with normal obverse dies, so Jefferson's portrait looks ordinary. Only the reverse shows the doubling, which is why collectors call it the Doubled Monticello.
Schlag won an open design competition held in 1938. His initials FS were not added to the coin until 1966. A 1939 nickel therefore shows no designer initials below the bust, which is normal and not an error.
Two reverses in 1939
1939 was also a year of change for the reverse hub. Early 1939 nickels use the original Reverse of 1938, with softer detail on Monticello's steps, while later coins use the Reverse of 1940, with sharper lines. Collectors of early Jefferson nickels attribute both types. Checking which reverse your coin has is a good habit when looking at any 1939 nickel.
Because the reverse is where both features appear, it pays to study the whole back of every 1939 nickel: the steps, the lettering and the building.
A step-by-step check
A 5x loupe is enough to see the doubling on a well-preserved coin. A 10x loupe helps on worn ones. Hold a light low across the reverse and look at MONTICELLO first, letter by letter. On the genuine coin the second image is strong and clearly separated. Then move to FIVE CENTS beneath the building and to the lettering above it.
Check to the right of the building for a mint mark. On 1939 nickels the mint mark sits there on the reverse. A Philadelphia coin has none. A D or S rules out the variety.
Weigh the coin if in doubt. A copper-nickel Jefferson nickel of 1939 weighs about 5.0 grams.
What gets mistaken for it
Early Jefferson nickels often show machine doubling, which makes letters look flat and wide on one side. Die wear also caused soft, blurry lettering on many 1939 reverses. Neither produces the clean, rounded second image of the genuine doubled die.
A useful test is to look for notches where the two images meet. On a true doubled die the outlines of the first and second images cross, leaving small notches in the corners of letters. Machine doubling leaves a smooth, flat shelf instead.
Grades and Full Steps
Collectors judge Jefferson nickels partly by the detail on Monticello's steps. PCGS and NGC add a Full Steps designation when five or six steps are complete and unbroken. A Doubled Monticello with Full Steps is particularly prized, because a strong strike and the variety are seen together.
Uncirculated examples with original luster, whether bright or toned, are much scarcer than circulated ones. Many circulated examples have soft steps and worn lettering, so look for clear doubling in MONTICELLO above all.
Authentication
The 1939 Doubled Monticello is listed as FS-801 in the Fivaz-Stanton system, the range used for reverse doubled dies. Both PCGS and NGC certify it. Request variety attribution when you submit. Ask for Full Steps to be considered if the steps are sharp.
Related early Jefferson nickel varieties
Collectors pursuing the 1939 Doubled Monticello often add the 1943/2-P overdate, the 1943-P doubled eye and the 1945-P doubled die reverse. These early varieties come from the period before single squeeze hubbing made doubled dies much rarer. Together they form a popular short set for Jefferson nickel specialists.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a 1939 Doubled Monticello Nickel?
MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS show strong doubling. Lighter doubling may show on other reverse lettering. If your coin passes these checks, have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling.
Is the 1939 Doubled Monticello Nickel valuable?
Genuine examples sell for a premium over regular coins of the same date. The amount depends on how strong the variety is, the coin's condition and whether it is certified. Compare recent sold auction results for certified coins in the same grade.
What is a doubled die reverse?
A doubled die is a die that received two slightly misaligned impressions from the hub when it was made. Every coin struck from that die shows the same doubled lettering or design. Read more about doubled dies.
Is the 1939-D or 1939-S Doubled Monticello a variety?
The famous Doubled Monticello is a Philadelphia coin with no mint mark. Doubling on 1939-D and 1939-S nickels is usually machine doubling.
Does a 1939 nickel have designer initials?
No. Felix Schlag's initials FS were added below Jefferson's bust in 1966, so 1939 nickels have none.
What is a Reverse of 1938 Jefferson nickel?
It is the original reverse used in 1938 and early 1939, with less detail on Monticello's steps. The Reverse of 1940 hub, with sharper steps, replaced it.