1948 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-005

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die identifiers UVC-0668 and DMR-006, this 1948 Washington Silver Quarter DDO-005 presents strong spread on LIBERTY and the date — prominent doubling on the most scrutinized inscription and the date digits, making this a visually accessible variety under moderate magnification. Three die stages trace the working die's progressive deterioration: Stage A at early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B at mid-die-state showing a light die crack across the upper hair and forehead with the reverse also in MDS; and Stage C at late die state exhibiting a light die crack across the bust and a die crack running down the eagle's right wing. The progressive crack development — beginning in the hair and forehead area at Stage B, then extending across the bust at Stage C while a new crack develops on the reverse eagle — documents the die's structural failure pattern as striking stress accumulated through its service life. The Washington Silver Quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1948 in 90% silver composition — 90% silver and 10% copper — weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.26 mm. John Flanagan designed the obverse portrait of George Washington based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's celebrated bust, and the heraldic eagle reverse featuring laurel and olive branches served from 1932 through 1998. The strong spread on LIBERTY is the fastest visual indicator for field identification of this variety, as the bold letters along the coin's upper obverse rim provide large-scale targets where doubling displacement is immediately apparent even under low magnification or with the unaided eye in favorable lighting.

Die Markers

• UVC-0668
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack across upper hair and forehead – MDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• Light die crack across bust – LDS
• Die crack down eagle's Right wing – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References