1971-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Proof coins are not immune to the hubbing errors that produce doubled dies, and DDO-001 on the 1971-S proof Washington quarter demonstrates this clearly. Struck at the San Francisco Mint on polished planchets with polished dies and multiple impressions, this proof coin carries a doubled die created during die manufacture when the obverse hub — bearing Washington's portrait, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date — impressed a working die with a slight positional shift between impressions. Because proof dies produce fewer coins before retirement than business strike dies, doubled die proof varieties tend to survive in lower numbers, adding scarcity to their collectibility. The 1971-S was issued exclusively in proof sets sold to collectors, meaning every surviving example was preserved from the moment of manufacture. Collectors should examine the obverse lettering and date under magnification for traces of secondary offset detail.

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