1956 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Among the Proof Roosevelt Dime doubled die obverses for 1956, DDO-001 is the most significant, displaying a strong spread on the date and designer's initials alongside spread on LIBERTY and the upper hairlines — cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-274 with die marriage DMR-003. Roosevelt dimes in the 1950s proof series were struck at Philadelphia with polished dies and hand-selected planchets, and the mirror-finish fields make hub misalignment especially visible under raking light. Three die stages are documented, each advancing both faces together. Stage A is early die state. Stage B is mid-die state. Stage C is late die state. The synchronized progression without significant interim crack events suggests a clean die life with gradual deterioration. The strong spread on the date makes initial identification feasible at modest magnification, while the hairline spread and designer's initials provide secondary confirmation. Proof set variety collecting in the Roosevelt dime series is active for this era, and DDO-001 occupies a recognized place in that literature as the primary obverse doubled die for the 1956 proof issue.

Die Markers

• UVC-274
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References