1968-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Holding the primary obverse doubled die designation for the 1968-S Roosevelt dime, DDO-001 exhibits light spread across IN GOD WE TRUST, the designer's initials JS (for John R. Sinnock), and the date. The 1968 date marks a pivotal transition in American coinage: mintmarks returned after a three-year suspension (1965-1967), and proof coin production transferred from Philadelphia to San Francisco, where the S mintmark would become synonymous with proof quality for decades to come. San Francisco struck approximately 3.04 million proof sets in 1968, establishing the S-mint proof program that continues today. VarietyVista cataloged this die under UVC-512 and DMR-003 with three documented stages: Stage A where both obverse and reverse surfaces are at early die state, Stage B where both have progressed to mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The confirmed EDS and MDS specimens provide collectors with a defined die state progression for tracking this variety across its production life. The comment notes that the reverse is RDV-001 (weak flame), referring to a reverse design variant where the torch flame on Sinnock's reverse appears with reduced detail — a characteristic attributable to the specific hub used to create this reverse die rather than to wear or striking pressure. This dual classification (DDO plus RDV) adds attribution depth by documenting two independent die characteristics. As DDO-001, this represents the foremost obverse doubled die identified for the 1968-S date, presumably the most prominent or earliest discovered. Collectors should examine the date and designer's initials under 10-15x magnification, where the light spread produces subtle thickening of the numeral strokes and letter contours visible against the proof's mirror field background.

Die Markers

• UVC-512
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

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

External References