1943-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1943-S DDO-002 Washington Silver Quarter displays light spread on the date, IN GOD WE TRUST, and LIBERT of LIBERTY — a spread pattern concentrated in the lower and left obverse areas that documents the direction of hub displacement during the doubling event. Die markers UVC-0352 / DMR-003 track three progressive stages with increasingly severe die deterioration: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B at MDS with a die crack running from the eagle's right wing to the Q of QUARTER on the reverse; and Stage C at LDS featuring a die crack across the upper hair on the obverse, a die crack across the bust, and the reverse also at LDS. The progression from a single reverse die crack at Stage B to multiple obverse die cracks plus continued reverse deterioration at Stage C documents the accelerating structural failure typical of dies approaching the end of their useful service life. The bust die crack at Stage C — a fracture spanning the entire width of Washington's bust — represents a particularly severe failure that would have produced a prominent raised line across the portrait on all coins struck during this final die stage. The Washington Quarter was designed by John Flanagan and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1943, during World War II when the San Francisco facility was operating at increased capacity. Composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, the coin weighs 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm. The 1943-S had a mintage of approximately 21.7 million pieces, with wartime demand driving higher production levels that placed additional stress on die inventories and potentially contributed to die deterioration patterns like those documented in this variety's three-stage progression.

Die Markers

• UVC-0352
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Die crack eagle's Right wing to Q of QUARTER – MDS
• Stage C:
• Die crack across upper hair – LDS
• Die crack across bust
• Reverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler and Bill Fivaz
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References