1936 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die tracking code UVC-0048 and die marker reference DMR-009, this 1936 Washington Silver Quarter DDR-001 exhibits extra thickness on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, the wreath, and the stems — widespread reverse doubling affecting both the inscriptions and the heraldic design elements simultaneously. Three documented die stages trace the working die's progression: Stage A is early die state (EDS), unconfirmed; Stage B is mid-die-state (MDS), also unconfirmed; Stage C reaches late die state (LDS) with three significant structural failures emerging — a light die crack running down the eagle's right wing, a die crack across the bust on the paired obverse die, and a die crack across the upper hair of Washington's portrait. The two obverse die cracks at Stage C — across the bust and through the upper hair — document concurrent structural failure in the obverse die at multiple stress points, likely accelerated by the high striking pressures required for the silver composition. John Flanagan designed the Washington Quarter with the obverse based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's iconic bust, while the reverse features a heraldic eagle perched on arrows with olive branches. The 1936 quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver composition (90% silver, 10% copper), weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.26 mm. As the first DDR cataloged for the 1936 date, DDR-001 holds the primary position in the VarietyVista attribution sequence, typically indicating it was either the earliest discovered or the most visually prominent doubled die reverse known for this date. The extra thickness on the wreath and stems is best examined under 7x-10x magnification, where the secondary hub impression creates detectable widening along the edges of these botanical design elements.

Die Markers

• UVC-0048
• DMR-009
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Light die crack down eagle's Right wing – LDS
• Die crack across bust – LDS
• Die crack across upper hair

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chris Pilliod
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References