1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Adolph Weinman's iconic Winged Liberty Head — popularly known as the Mercury dime for its resemblance to the Roman messenger god — received a doubled hub impression on this 1944 Philadelphia die, creating DDO-004 with medium spread visible on the designer's initials (AW, positioned at the truncation of Liberty's neck), the R of LIBERTY, and the upper wing feathers of the winged cap. Cross-referenced as 4-O-II-C in the VarietyVista classification system, this designation breaks down as the fourth obverse variety, Class II rotational doubling, subtype C. Die markers UVC-290 and DMR-006 catalog the specific die and its marriage pairing. Philadelphia produced approximately 231.4 million Mercury dimes in 1944, one of the highest wartime mintages for the denomination as the nation's economic activity generated heavy demand for circulating coinage. The medium spread on the designer's initials AW provides an excellent primary diagnostic — these small letters magnify the visual impact of any doubling, making even moderate displacement readily apparent under 10x magnification. The upper wing feathers of Liberty's Phrygian-style cap represent a less commonly affected area for Mercury dime doubled dies, and their involvement here helps distinguish DDO-004 from other 1944 obverse varieties. The 90% silver composition of wartime dimes adds intrinsic metal value to the numismatic interest, and surviving specimens in higher grades benefit from the generally good state of preservation that characterizes the abundant 1944 mintage.

Die Markers

• UVC-290, DMR-006

Attribution History

• 4-O-II-C

External References