1948-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1948-S DDR-001 Washington Silver Quarter displays medium spread on QUARTER DOLLAR along with light spread on some lower leaves of the wreath — a doubling pattern where the hub displacement primarily affected the lower reverse inscription and adjacent botanical elements while leaving the upper design relatively undisturbed. Die markers UVC-0678 / DMR-002 track three progressive stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B with a die scratch through the upper UN of UNITED at MDS and the obverse also at MDS; and Stage C featuring a die crack running down the eagle's right (viewer's left) wing at LDS with the obverse also at LDS. The die crack descending through the eagle's wing in Stage C traces one of the die face's natural stress concentration lines, where the deep relief of the wing feathers creates a weakness in the die steel that propagates under repeated striking loads. The Washington Quarter was designed by John Flanagan and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1948, composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm. The 1948-S had a relatively modest mintage compared to Philadelphia and Denver issues of the same year, making this the primary doubled die reverse for a lower-production date-mint combination. The concentration of doubling on QUARTER DOLLAR rather than the eagle or upper motto suggests the hub displacement vector was oriented toward the coin's lower hemisphere, consistent with a shift occurring during the final stages of a hub impression when downward pressure could cause subtle directional movement.

Die Markers

• UVC-0678
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die scratch through upper UN of UNITED – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• Die crack down eagle's Right (viewer's Left) wing – LDS
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Hugh T. Campbell
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References