1940-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Second in the reverse doubled die census for the 1940-D Mercury dime, DDR-002 displays medium spread on UNITED STATES OF, the upper axe head, the horizontal band, and the olive leaves on the reverse of Adolph Weinman's iconic design featuring the fasces — a bundle of rods bound around an axe symbolizing national unity and strength. Cross-referenced as 2-R-II-C in the CONECA (Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America) classification system, this variety is identified through Class II hub doubling affecting multiple design elements across the reverse. VarietyVista assigned die markers UVC-109 and DMR-005, and the editorial comment notes the need for new digital photographs, indicating that existing documentation relies on older or lower-resolution imagery. Denver struck approximately 21.56 million Mercury dimes in 1940, a pre-war mintage that preceded the massive production increases of the wartime years. The medium spread classification places this DDR in the moderate visibility range — the doubling is detectable without extreme magnification but does not produce the dramatic separation seen on strong spread varieties. The affected design elements — the upper axe of the fasces, the band binding the rods, and the olive leaves — are concentrated in the upper and middle portions of the reverse, suggesting the hub displacement influenced this zone most significantly. Weinman's fasces design, with its parallel rod lines and organic leaf shapes, provides surfaces where hub doubling manifests as either duplicated geometric lines (on the axe and band) or displaced organic curves (on the leaves), giving collectors multiple diagnostic textures to examine. The need for updated specimen photographs suggests this variety would benefit from modern high-resolution imaging to aid future attribution efforts.

Die Markers

• UVC-109, DMR-005

Attribution History

• 2-R-II-C

External References