1955 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-006

Description

Sixth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1955 Washington quarter proof, DDR-006 exhibits medium extra thickness on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the eagle's plume — spanning the upper inscription, the motto, and the heraldic eagle detail on John Flanagan's reverse design. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-0857 and DMR-012, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where light die scratches appear west from the eagle's body with both obverse and reverse at mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The Stage B die scratches provide a useful secondary diagnostic for identifying specimens in an intermediate die state, as scratches running westward from the eagle's body create a directional pattern distinct from random handling marks. The commentary confirms this is a proof strike — 1955 proof Washington quarters were produced at Philadelphia in a total proof mintage of approximately 378,200 sets. Proof production employed polished dies and specially prepared planchets, and the mirrored field finish of proof coins can sometimes make doubled die detection more challenging because the reflective surface interferes with the low-angle lighting typically used to reveal doubling. Medium extra thickness across the upper legend, motto, and eagle plumage indicates a hub displacement that affected the entire upper half of the reverse design, producing lettering and feather detail that appears heavier or more pronounced than standard proof specimens. The broad distribution of the thickening across multiple design elements suggests a rotational or angular hub displacement that created a consistent degree of overlap across the affected area. Collectors should compare the weight of the inscription lettering and the plume detail against confirmed normal 1955 proof quarters under 10-15x magnification, looking for the measurably thicker character contours and feather barbs that distinguish this DDR from the standard proof impression.

Die Markers

• UVC-0857
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die scratches West from eagle's body – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References