1918-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

The first documented doubled die obverse for the 1918-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar, DDO-001 exhibits medium spread and extra thickness across multiple design elements — LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, Miss Liberty's lower gown, and the date all show visible doubling. Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-162 and DMR-002, three die stages are recorded: Stage A with both obverse and reverse in early die state, Stage B in mid-die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C in late die state (unconfirmed). The breadth of affected elements — spanning motto, central figure, and date — indicates substantial hub displacement during die manufacture. Adolph A. Weinman's Walking Liberty design, with its flowing gown lines and finely detailed lettering, is particularly expressive of doubling because the organic curves amplify even medium spreads into clearly visible separation. Struck at San Francisco during World War I, the 1918-S half dollar belongs to the early Walking Liberty series that debuted in 1916. As DDO-001, this variety holds the distinction of being the primary doubled die obverse reference for this wartime San Francisco issue.

Die Markers

• UVC-162
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael "Skip" Fazarri
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References