1934 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Cataloged third in the obverse doubled die census for the 1934 Washington quarter, DDO-003 presents light spread visible on IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, and a distinctive tripling effect on the letters of LIBERTY. John Flanagan's Washington portrait — introduced in 1932 to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington's birth — provides finely detailed inscription areas where even modest hub displacement becomes detectable. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-012 and DMR-007 and documented three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse are at mid die state, and Stage C where both surfaces have progressed to late die state. The tripling on LIBERTY is particularly significant, as it indicates this die received at least three distinct hub impressions with slightly different alignment, producing two layers of secondary imagery beneath the primary letters. Die markers track the progression of this die through its working life, with MDS and LDS confirmations establishing that specimens exist in both intermediate and advanced states of die wear. The additional notation that the obverse is ODV-002 (Medium Motto) places this die within the medium-size variant of the IN GOD WE TRUST inscription, a design classification independent of the doubling itself that provides supplementary attribution confirmation. Philadelphia struck approximately 24.08 million Washington quarters in 1934, a relatively low mintage for the series that adds date scarcity to the variety interest. Collectors should examine the motto letters under 15-20x magnification, where the tripled LIBERTY creates a layered effect distinguishable from the simpler doubled images found on most hub-doubled dies.

Die Markers

• UVC-012
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ed Raser
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References