1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-011

Description

Wartime production conditions at Philadelphia provide the backdrop for DDO-011, a 1944 Washington silver quarter doubled die obverse cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-0387 with die markers reference DMR-012. The variety shows a medium spread on IN GOD WE TRUST, accompanied by lighter spread on the date and LIBERTY — a distribution pattern suggesting the hub misalignment displaced the secondary image more strongly in the motto zone while diminishing toward the periphery of the obverse. Three die stages are documented. Stages A and B at early and mid die state remain unconfirmed, indicating that examples from the freshest and middle portions of this die's service life have not been positively attributed. Stage C at late die state is confirmed, identified by a die crack running across the hair on Washington's portrait and corresponding LDS condition on the reverse — progressive failure lines that developed as the die approached the end of its working life under the demands of wartime coinage production. The 1944 Philadelphia Washington quarter mintage of 104,956,000 represented a significant output driven by wartime economic activity, and the 90% silver composition meant these quarters carried genuine intrinsic value alongside their face value. John Flanagan's Washington obverse, adapted from the Houdon bust, places IN GOD WE TRUST in a tight arc above Washington's head where doubled impressions are readily visible against the open field. The confirmed LDS die crack across the hair serves as a useful preliminary screening tool: if the crack is present, the coin comes from the correct die pair and warrants closer examination of the motto for DDO-011 doubling.

Die Markers

• UVC-0387
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die crack across hair – LDS
• Reverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References