1941-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Reported by Delma K. Romines, DDR-002 of the 1941-D Mercury Dime affects an extensive array of reverse design elements: STATES OF AMERICA, the top of the axe blade, upper leaves, the star, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and DIME. This breadth of coverage — spanning text, symbolic devices, and botanical elements — indicates a hub misalignment that impacted the majority of the reverse die face rather than a localized region. Denver struck 46.6 million Mercury Dimes in 1941, the penultimate year before wartime demands would begin altering Mint operations. Adolph Weinman's reverse design features the fasces — a bundle of rods bound around an axe — symbolizing strength through unity, and the doubling on the axe blade top and upper leaves affects the most intricate portion of this classical motif. As DDR-002, this is the second documented doubled die reverse for the 1941-D date, with light spread visible across all affected areas. The involvement of both the star device and multiple text inscriptions makes this variety relatively straightforward to attribute, as multiple check points can be examined independently to confirm the doubling. Mercury Dime varieties from the early 1940s benefit from the series' enduring popularity with collectors, and Denver Mint issues from this period are actively searched by specialists familiar with Weinman's detailed reverse iconography.

External References