1940-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Documented by VarietyVista and cross-referenced as Cherrypickers FS-101, DDO-001 on the 1940-D Washington quarter displays a strong spread on GOD WE and UST of TRUST — three word segments from the motto IN GOD WE TRUST positioned above Washington's head on John Flanagan's obverse design. Four die stages have been identified with die markers UVC-0129 and DMR-002: Stage A in early die state remains unconfirmed, Stage B shows numerous light die scratches on the obverse in early-to-mid die state with a die crack developing down the eagle's right wing in late die state (notably, this reverse die in a slightly later state was subsequently paired with DDO-007), Stage C shows the obverse in mid die state with a reverse die change (both unconfirmed), and Stage D in late die state is unconfirmed. The documentation of reverse die swapping between DDO-001 and DDO-007 provides valuable insight into Philadelphia Mint die management practices, revealing that reverse dies outlasted their obverse counterparts and were reassigned to new die marriages. The 1940-D Washington quarter was struck at the Denver Mint in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a 24.26 mm diameter. The strong spread on portions of the motto earned this variety its Cherrypickers FS-101 cross-reference, indicating sufficient prominence and collectibility to merit inclusion in that widely-consulted reference. Produced during the Depression era's final year, the 1940-D had a mintage of approximately 2.8 million pieces — a relatively modest figure that adds conditional scarcity to the DDO-001 variety.

Die Markers

• UVC-0129
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Numerous light die scratches on Obverse – EMDS
• Die crack down eagle's Right wing – LDS
• This reverse die in a slightly later die state was paired with DDO-007
• Stage C:
• Obverse is MDS (unconfirmed)
• Reverse die changed (unconfirmed)
• Stage D:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Hughes
• FS-101
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References