1943-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1943-S DDO-006 Washington Silver Quarter displays medium spread on LIBERTY with a full vertical bar — a diagnostic feature where the doubled hub impression creates a visible vertical line within or adjacent to the LIBERTY inscription, providing a strong visual marker that can be identified relatively quickly under moderate magnification. Die markers UVC-0356 / DMR-007 track three progressive stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B at MDS introducing a light die crack on the forehead and hair along with a light die crack across the bust; and continuing into a die crack running down the eagle's right wing to the Q of QUARTER at LDS. Stage C is at LDS (unconfirmed). The die crack system documented in Stage B — spanning from the forehead through the hair and across the bust on the obverse, plus the wing-to-Q crack on the reverse — represents concurrent structural deterioration across both dies in this pair, with the obverse cracks following the natural stress lines created by the portrait's deep relief features. The Washington Quarter was designed by John Flanagan and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1943 during World War II, composed of 90% silver at 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm. The 1943-S had a wartime mintage that, while substantial, was lower than Philadelphia production. The full vertical bar component of the LIBERTY doubling distinguishes this variety from partial-spread DDOs where the doubling appears as general thickening without a defined bar element.

Die Markers

• UVC-0356
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack forehead and hair – MDS
• Light die crack across bust
• Die crack down eagle's Right wing to Q of QUARTER – LDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References