1946-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-003

Description

Third in the reverse doubled die census for the inaugural 1946-D Roosevelt dime, DDR-003 presents light spread on AMERICA and UNUM with rotation on ONE DIME — John R. Sinnock's reverse design featuring a torch flanked by olive and oak branches. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-050 and DMR-014, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where both reverse and obverse surfaces have progressed to late die state. The LDS confirmation for Stage C means specimens exist with advanced die wear, offering collectors a documented progression for tracking this variety's die life. Denver struck approximately 61.04 million dimes in 1946, the first year of the Roosevelt dime series following Franklin D. Roosevelt's death in April 1945. Sinnock's design was released rapidly to honor the late president, with the obverse featuring Roosevelt's left-facing portrait and the reverse displaying the torch of freedom. The comment "Obverse is ODV-001" indicates the obverse die carries its own cataloged variety designation as Obverse Design Variant 001, meaning this die marriage combines both a reverse doubled die and an obverse design variant — a dual-attribution die pair that adds collecting interest. The rotational component on ONE DIME distinguishes DDR-003 from purely spread varieties, as rotation implies the secondary hub impression pivoted around a center point rather than translating linearly, producing variable displacement magnitudes across the affected area. Light spread on AMERICA and UNUM would require careful examination under magnification to distinguish from normal striking characteristics on this first-year issue.

Die Markers

• UVC-050
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References