1946-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-003

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with UVC-111 and DMR-019, the 1946-S Roosevelt Dime DDR-003 shows light spread on AMERICA, ONE DIME, UNITED, E PLU of PLURIBUS, and UNUM — affecting a broad swath of the reverse text elements. The widespread distribution of doubling across multiple legends indicates a hub displacement that affected a large area of the reverse die, though the light intensity means careful magnification is required for confident identification. Three die stages are documented: Stage A is unconfirmed EDS, Stage B is unconfirmed MDS, and Stage C shows a die gouge through the lower NUM of UNUM at LDS with the obverse also confirmed at LDS. This Stage C die gouge provides a useful late-state marker that can help attributors quickly assess the die state of candidate coins. Comments identify the obverse as ODV-001 and the reverse as MMS-001 (Trumpet tail), with the "Trumpet tail" designation referring to a specific mintmark style where the S has a flared or trumpet-shaped lower terminal. The 1946-S Roosevelt Dime was struck during the inaugural year of the series at the San Francisco Mint, making any first-year variety of particular interest to series collectors. As only the third year of Roosevelt Dime production (sharing the inauguration year with Philadelphia and Denver issues), the 1946-S carries first-year premium alongside its variety significance. The mintmark style classification (MMS-001 Trumpet tail) demonstrates the detailed attention that die variety researchers apply to every aspect of die preparation, tracking not just hub doubling and die deterioration but the specific physical characteristics of the mintmark punches used at branch mints. Three DDRs for the inaugural 1946-S date documents multiple hub doubling events during the first year of a design that would ultimately become the longest-running current denomination in American coinage.

Die Markers

• UVC-111
• DMR-019
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die gouge through lower NUM of UNUM – LDS
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

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

External References