1950-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

VarietyVista documents this 1950-S Washington Silver Quarter under die markers UVC-0739 and DMR-005, with additional die comments referencing RDV-001 / RDV-002 Reverse Die Variety classifications. DDR-004 exhibits medium spread on leaves above the wreath — especially prominent in front of the arrow points — along with spread on the tail feathers and the eagle's feet and talons. The involvement of botanical elements (wreath leaves), plumage (tail feathers), and anatomical details (feet and talons) simultaneously demonstrates a hub displacement that affected a broad swath of the central and lower reverse design, where the heraldic eagle and its surrounding wreath dominate the die face. Three die stages trace this die's service life with increasing deterioration: Stage A (EDS) and Stage B (MDS) are unconfirmed. Stage C, the Late Die State, documents four distinct progressive failure features: a die crack running down the eagle's right wing, a split serif RPM deemed too minor to list as a separate variety, a die crack extending across the hair and forehead on the obverse, and a die gouge cutting through the lower portion of the 50 in the date. The convergence of multiple die cracks and a die gouge in LDS reveals a die approaching the end of its useful service life, with fractures propagating through multiple stress-concentration points simultaneously. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver at 6.25 grams, the 1950-S Washington Quarter had a mintage of approximately 10.3 million. The medium spread on the wreath and eagle's lower body is best examined under 10x magnification with the coin tilted to cast raking shadows across the feather and leaf relief.

Die Markers

• UVC-0739
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die crack down eagle's Right wing – LDS
• Split serif RPM is too minor to list
• Die crack across hair and forehead – LDS
• Die gouge through lower 50 of date

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References