1946 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-015

Description

Fifteenth in the obverse doubled die census for the inaugural 1946 Roosevelt dime, DDO-015 exhibits light spread on the date and the designer's initials (JS for John R. Sinnock) with a top-to-bottom directional component. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-017 and DMR-017, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where both obverse and reverse surfaces have reached late die state. The LDS confirmation for Stage C indicates specimens with advanced die wear have been verified for this variety. Sinnock's Roosevelt dime design entered production in January 1946, just nine months after President Roosevelt's death in April 1945, making the 1946 first-year issue a point of particular collector interest. Philadelphia struck approximately 255.3 million Roosevelt dimes in 1946, establishing the substantial mintages that would characterize the series. The top-to-bottom spread direction on the date and designer's initials indicates the secondary hub impression displaced vertically relative to the primary, a movement vector that would produce doubled images visible as secondary shadows below (or above) the primary numerals and letters. The comment "Obverse is ODV-001" indicates this die carries an Obverse Design Variant classification, meaning the die exhibits characteristics — beyond the hub doubling — that distinguish it from the standard obverse die configuration, potentially involving differences in the designer's initials size, position, or style. This dual classification (DDO plus ODV) adds collecting interest by documenting two independent attributable characteristics on a single die. Light spread on the date requires careful examination under magnification, as the subtle vertical displacement may appear as slight thickening rather than clearly separated secondary images.

Die Markers

• UVC-017
• DMR-017
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References