1939 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Recognized in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypicker's Guide as FS-101, the primary doubled die obverse for the 1939 Philadelphia Mercury dime carries the widest visibility among the five documented DDOs for this date. Light spread appears on the date numerals, consistent with a Class II pivoted doubling (cross-referenced as 1-O-II-C in the VarietyVista system). The FS-101 attribution places this variety in the standard reference that dealers and collectors routinely consult when screening coins for valuable die varieties, elevating its market recognition well beyond the specialist community. Philadelphia struck approximately 67.7 million Mercury dimes in 1939, maintaining Adolph Weinman's Winged Liberty Head design that had been in production since 1916. VarietyVista assigns UVC-096 and die marriage DMR-003 to this die pair. As DDO-001 with an FS-101 cross-listing, this variety occupies the premier position in the 1939 Mercury dime obverse variety hierarchy. The Class II-C doubling on the date digits manifests as a subtle directional spread that follows the rotational axis of the hub misalignment. Collectors can distinguish this from DDO-002 through DDO-005 by consulting the FS-101 photographic references, which provide authoritative diagnostic images for this specific die.

Die Markers

• UVC-096, DMR-003

Attribution History

• 1-O-II-C

External References