1941-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

One of the most extensively doubled reverse dies in the Mercury Dime series, DDR-002 on the 1941-S exhibits light spread across a remarkable number of elements on Adolph Weinman's reverse: ES of STATES, OF AMERICA, the top of the axe and fasces, upper right leaves, BUS of PLURIBUS, UM of UNUM, and the right star. This breadth of involvement — spanning portions of three separate inscriptions plus multiple design elements — indicates hub displacement affected nearly the entire right half of the reverse die. Originally reported by Jim Smith, this variety is also a dual-variety coin: the reverse is listed as RPM-008 (a repunched mintmark), and it carries MMS-002 (Medium Mintmark Style), meaning the S mintmark is of intermediate size. Collectors can examine both the widespread reverse doubling and the repunched S for two independent attribution checkpoints on a single coin. The 1941-S Mercury Dime was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver at 2.5 grams. Begin with ES of STATES and OF AMERICA under 7x magnification, then scan the fasces elements and right star, and finally inspect the S mintmark for repunching traces.

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