1945-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with attribution codes UVC-0549 and DMR-005, this 1945-D Washington Silver Quarter exhibits medium spread on LIBERTY accompanied by light spread on the 5 of the date, the designer\'s initials JF (for John Flanagan), and the ribbon end — a doubling pattern that affects multiple dispersed design elements across the obverse die face. Three documented die stages chronicle this die\'s progressive deterioration: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid-die state showing a light die crack running across the bust along with a heavy die scratch connecting the upper portions of BERT in LIBERTY — a particularly useful attribution marker because the scratch physically links four consecutive letters — and Stage C in late die state (unconfirmed). The reverse at Stage B is recorded at mid-die state. The Washington Quarter was designed by John Flanagan, originally intended as a one-year commemorative for George Washington\'s 200th birthday in 1932 but continued as the standard quarter design. Struck at the Denver Mint in 1945 during the final months of World War II, this coin is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm. The 1945-D had a substantial wartime mintage as the U.S. Mint ramped production to meet circulation demands. The spread pattern — medium on LIBERTY but only light on the date digit and initials — reveals the geometric relationship between the hub displacement vector and the position of each design element, with features closer to the pivot point receiving less apparent displacement than those farther away, producing the graduated intensity observed across the die face.

Die Markers

• UVC-0549
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack across bust – MDS
• Heavy die scratch connects upper BERT of LIBERTY
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage c:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References