1946 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-007

Description

Strong spread on the date, IN GOD WE TRUST, the designer's initials (JS for John R. Sinnock), the ear, and the base of the bust makes this seventh doubled die obverse for the inaugural 1946 Roosevelt Silver Dime one of the more visually prominent DDO varieties for the first-year date. Cataloged in the VarietyVista system as UVC-009 with DMR-009, DDO-007 has three documented die states: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B with the obverse in mid-die state and a die gouge running northwest through the D of DIME on the reverse also in MDS, and Stage C with both obverse and reverse in late die state. The obverse die variety is designated ODV-001, indicating this is the first-listed obverse die variety in the VarietyVista classification. The strong spread across multiple design elements — date, motto, designer's initials, ear, and bust base — indicates a substantial hub doubling event where the displacement affected a broad area of the die. The 1946 Roosevelt Dime holds special significance as the inaugural issue of a design that remains in production to this day, making it the longest-running current United States coin design. John R. Sinnock's portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt was authorized shortly after Roosevelt's death in 1945, and the dime denomination was chosen because of Roosevelt's association with the March of Dimes charity. Seven doubled die obverses documented for the first-year issue reflects intense collector and researcher interest in inaugural date die varieties. The Stage B die gouge through D of DIME on the reverse provides an additional attribution marker specific to this die's mid-life condition.

Die Markers

• UVC-009
• DMR-009
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Die gouge Northwest through D of DIME – MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References