1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-046

Description

Light hub doubling confined to the word LIBERTY distinguishes DDO-046 on the 1943 Washington silver quarter, cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-0917 with die marriage reference DMR-055. Three die stages trace this working die's service life: Stage A shows both obverse and reverse in early die state, Stage B introduces a die crack running across Washington's forehead and hair (placing the obverse at early-to-mid die state while the reverse reaches its own EMDS), and Stage C represents an unconfirmed late die state. The progression from a crack-free early state to a forehead crack is consistent with the stress concentration that John Flanagan's high-relief portrait creates at the crown of Washington's head, where the die steel is thinnest. Philadelphia struck over 99 million quarters in 1943 amid wartime demand, and the enormous production run generated an extensive DDO catalog for the date — DDO-046 sits deep in the numbering, reflecting the systematic survey work that VarietyVista has conducted across all Washington quarter die marriages. The 90% silver composition adds a layer of desirability for collectors who can match both the LIBERTY doubling and the Stage B forehead crack on a single coin.

Die Markers

• UVC-0917
• DMR-055
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Die crack across forehead and hair – EMDS
• Reverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by ZAP's coins
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References