1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-015

Description

Cataloged as UVC-0301, DMR-016, this 1943 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter displays a medium spread on the date with light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY. Three die stages have been documented: Stage A is EDS (unconfirmed), Stage B in EMDS shows a light die crack across the bust with the reverse in EMDS, and Stage C in LMDS shows a die crack from URIBUS of PLURIBUS to the wing. Struck in 90% silver at the Philadelphia Mint during World War II, the 1943 Washington Quarter continued the silver quarter series even as other denominations underwent wartime composition changes. The progressive die cracking visible across the three documented stages illustrates how the die deteriorated during its production run, with the bust crack appearing in the early-to-mid die state and the PLURIBUS-to-wing crack developing later. The medium spread on the date provides the primary doubled die diagnostic, while the light spread on the motto and LIBERTY requires careful magnification to confirm.

Die Markers

• UVC-0301
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack across bust – EMDS
• Reverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LMDS
• Die crack URIBUS of PLURIBUS to wing – LMDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Feld
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References