1945-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Occupying the second position in the reverse doubled die census for the final San Francisco Mercury dime issue, DDR-002 exhibits very light spread confined to the right star on the reverse of Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head design. The reverse fasces motif — an axe bound in a bundle of rods symbolizing civic authority — is flanked by olive branches, and the stars positioned at the peripheral field provide small but sharply detailed design elements where even subtle hub doubling can be detected. This variety carries die markers UVC-232 and DMR-009, and is cross-referenced as 2-R-II-C, a notation indicating it belongs to the Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling mechanism within the classification framework. The comments field records MMS-006 with a Ball Serif designation, meaning this same working die also exhibits a misplaced mintmark characterized by a serif-style imprint offset from the primary S mintmark position — a secondary attributable feature that adds collector interest beyond the doubled die classification alone. San Francisco struck approximately 41.92 million dimes in 1945, the final year of Mercury dime production before Sinnock's Roosevelt design replaced it in 1946, making all 1945-S varieties part of the terminal chapter of this beloved series. The very light spread classification means the doubling on the right star requires careful examination: collectors should use at least 15-20x magnification with fiber-optic lighting directed across the star's surface to catch the faint secondary impression. The original cataloger noted a need to examine a specimen for new digital photographs, suggesting that high-resolution reference images for DDR-002 remain limited and that confirmed attribution may require comparison against textual diagnostic descriptions rather than photographic overlays.

Die Markers

• UVC-232, DMR-009

Attribution History

• 2-R-II-C

External References