1941-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Fourth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1941-S Washington silver quarter, DDR-004 displays light spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — the peripheral inscription arcing above the heraldic eagle on John Flanagan's reverse design. VarietyVista cataloged this die under UVC-0215 and DMR-011, with a particularly informative three-stage progression: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where the reverse has reached mid die state with a die crack developing across Washington's forehead and hair on the obverse, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The forehead-and-hair die crack at Stage B provides an excellent die state marker for collectors, as its presence confirms the die has advanced beyond the early state. The comments note "Reverse is MMS-001 (Small)," indicating this die also carries a Misplaced Mintmark variety — the S mintmark showing a small secondary impression displaced from the primary position — adding a second attributable characteristic to this already interesting die marriage. San Francisco struck approximately 16.08 million Washington quarters in 1941, a year when wartime defense spending was stimulating the economy and driving increased demand for circulating coinage. The combination of a reversed doubled die (DDR-004) and a misplaced mintmark (MMS-001) on the same die makes this a dual-attribution variety that appeals to collectors of both doubled die and mintmark varieties. Light spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA requires careful examination under magnification to distinguish from normal striking characteristics, as the thin letters of the peripheral inscription may show only subtle thickening where the secondary hub impression overlaps the primary. Collectors should look for the obverse die crack across Washington's forehead as a die state indicator, then examine the reverse inscription under 15x magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-0215
• DMR-011
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse is MDS
• Die crack across forehead and hair – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References