1947 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as DDO-006 with die marker references UVC-0643 and DMR-007, this doubled die obverse variety was struck on a 1947 Washington silver quarter at the Philadelphia Mint. The Washington quarter was composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a 24.3 mm diameter and a reeded edge. Philadelphia produced 22,556,000 quarters in 1947, part of the post-war economic boom era that saw rising coinage production as the American economy transitioned to peacetime prosperity. John Flanagan's obverse portrait of George Washington, adapted from the Houdon bust, provides a highly detailed rendering where hub doubling manifests with particular visibility on the fine lettering and date elements. The doubling on DDO-006 produces medium extra thickness on IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the date, Flanagan's designer's initials JF, and the ribbon end of Washington's queue. The distribution of doubling across this many obverse elements indicates substantial hub displacement during die manufacture. VarietyVista documents three die stages: Stage A is an early die state that remains unconfirmed, Stage B is a mid die state also unconfirmed, and Stage C is the late die state, identified by a light die crack across the forehead and hair with the reverse also showing late die state characteristics. The Stage C die crack across Washington's forehead represents significant die fatigue and provides a visible marker that helps determine which die stage a particular specimen represents. Washington silver quarters from the late 1940s occupy a productive period for doubled die discovery, as the multi-squeeze hubbing process used in this era frequently generated detectable hub displacement on the portrait's detailed features. DDO-006 as the sixth cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1947 Philadelphia quarter demonstrates the systematic die study that has expanded the variety census for silver Washington quarters.

Die Markers

• UVC-0643
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Light die crack across forehead and hair – LDS
• Reverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by ZAP's coins
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References