1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-017

Description

Seventeenth in the doubled die obverse census for the 1944 Washington silver quarter, DDO-017 confines its light hub doubling to the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, leaving other obverse elements unaffected. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-0393 with die markers reference DMR-018, and the three documented stages reveal the die's working history. Stage A (EDS) and Stage B (MDS) remain unconfirmed, indicating that early and middle-life examples have not yet been submitted for documentation. Stage C provides the key diagnostic: a die crack running across Washington's upper forehead and hair confirms late die state, while the reverse also registers LDS. This forehead-to-hair crack serves a dual purpose -- it authenticates the die pair and provides a clear stage attribution marker. The 1944-P Washington quarter, struck from 90% silver during the height of World War II, had a mintage of 104.9 million pieces. Having seventeen documented DDO varieties for a single date represents a remarkably thorough census, reflecting decades of sustained examination by variety specialists working through the Washington quarter series. The light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST positions DDO-017 as a subtle variety that requires at least 10x magnification for confident identification, and the small individual letters of the motto demand sharp optics to resolve the doubled profile on each character. The wartime context of 1944 production adds historical depth: Mint employees worked extended shifts to meet both civilian coinage demand and the military's need for silver in industrial applications, and the accelerated pace may have contributed to the number of doubled die events documented across that year's quarter production.

Die Markers

• UVC-0393
• DMR-018
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die crack across upper forehead and hair – LDS
• Reverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References