1944-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

First in the doubled die obverse sequence for the 1944 Denver Mint Washington Quarter, DDO-001 shows light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST and is tracked by VarietyVista under die markers UVC-0421 and DMR-002 across three stages. Early and mid-die states are unconfirmed. By late die state, the obverse has developed a light die crack across the upper hair and a crack across the bust. The reverse shows extensive cracking: one crack runs down the eagle's right wing, another from US of PLURIBUS to the wing under AMER of AMERICA, and a third from the upper right leaf to the rim at 4 o'clock. This network of reverse cracks indicates the die was used well beyond its optimal service life, a common wartime practice when die steel and production resources were at a premium. The light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST is characteristic of subtle doubling from hub-to-die alignment shifting by only a few thousandths of an inch between impressions during die manufacturing.

Die Markers

• UVC-0421
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Light die crack across upper hair – LDS
• Die crack across bust
• Die crack down eagle's Right wing – LDS
• Die crack US of PLURIBUS to wing under AMER of AMERICA
• Die crack from upper Right leaf to rim at K-4

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Briggs
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References