1976-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Holding the primary obverse doubled die designation for the 1976-S Bicentennial issue, DDO-001 displays light spread on the inscription WE TRUST from the motto IN GOD WE TRUST — and carries the significant cross-reference FS-101 (Fivaz-Stanton 101), placing it in the Cherrypickers' Guide as the most notable obverse doubled die for this commemorative date. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-227 and DMR-002, with three documented die stages: Stage A where both obverse and reverse surfaces show early die state characteristics (confirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The comments identify this as a silver issue and repeat the FS-101 attribution, confirming it was struck at San Francisco on 40% silver-clad planchets as part of the three-coin Bicentennial silver set produced from 1975 through 1976. The 1976-S Bicentennial quarter features a dual date (1776-1976) on the obverse with John Flanagan's Washington portrait, and the reverse depicts Jack L. Ahr's Colonial drummer design selected through a national design competition — making this one of the most historically evocative coins in the modern United States series. The FS-101 cross-reference elevates this variety significantly in collector desirability, as the Cherrypickers' Guide serves as many collectors' primary reference for die varieties worth searching for. Light spread on WE TRUST indicates the doubling is subtle but confirmable, requiring 10-15x magnification to resolve the secondary impression against the primary lettering. The EDS confirmation for Stage A means specimens exist with fresh die surfaces preserving the doubling at optimal clarity. As both DDO-001 and FS-101, this variety represents the definitive obverse doubled die for Bicentennial quarter collectors.

Die Markers

• UVC-227
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Clewell
• FS-101
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References