1942 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Fourth in VarietyVista's catalog of doubled die obverses for the 1942 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, DDO-004 presents light spread on BERTY of LIBERTY — a partial manifestation where displacement is confined to the latter portion of the inscription rather than the entire word. Documented under UVC-0229 and DMR-006, three die stages trace the die's life: Stage A in early die state when the doubling is sharpest, Stage B at MDS, and Stage C in LDS with accumulated fatigue softening the effect. The selective doubling on BERTY rather than full LIBERTY suggests the hub's pivot point fell near the LI portion, minimizing displacement there while producing visible spread on the more distant letters. The 1942 Washington Quarter was struck in 90% silver during the early months of American involvement in World War II. Four documented DDOs for this Philadelphia date reflects systematic examination applied to pre-war silver quarters, where variety collectors find accessible material at moderate cost compared to earlier Washington Quarter dates.

Die Markers

• UVC-0229
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Light die crack down eagle's Right wing – MDS
• Stage C:
• Light die crack across forehead and hair – LDS
• Light die crack across bust
• Die crack from back of eagle's head to wing – LDS
• Die crack from wing to rim through O of OF

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References