1971-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008

Description

Eighth in the 1971-S proof Eisenhower Dollar DDO sequence, WDDO-008 (Wexler reference 1971-S $1 Pr WDDO-008) represents another unique working die from the San Francisco Mint's inaugural Ike Dollar proof production. With at least eleven DDOs documented for the 1971-S proof issue, the variety family demonstrates a hub misalignment rate that, while not unusual for a new denomination in its first year of production, does suggest the Mint's die shop was working through the practical challenges of manufacturing dies for the new large-format dollar design. Each DDO in the sequence records a separate event — a distinct moment when a hub and a working die came together imperfectly — and WDDO-008's position in the upper half of the catalog places it among the later discoveries or the less visually prominent examples. Gasparro's obverse design required translating a portrait that worked at medal scale down to a 38.1 mm coinage die, and the resulting engraving balances fine detail (the hair lines, the collar texture, the small-text IN GOD WE TRUST) with the durability requirements of a die that would need to withstand hundreds of thousands of strikes. Hub doubling on any of these design elements creates a permanent record of the manufacturing anomaly, preserved in 40% silver at 24.59 grams per coin. Proof surfaces with their characteristic mirror fields and frosted devices provide the ideal contrast for examining the specific displacement pattern that distinguishes WDDO-008 from its ten documented siblings.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S $1 Pr WDDO-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References