1946 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-015

Description

Preserved in the VarietyVista catalog as DDO-015, this 1946 Washington quarter displays light spread on BERTY of LIBERTY and on the date, evidence of hub doubling during obverse die preparation at the Philadelphia Mint. The variety is numbered UVC-0603 DMR-016 and has been documented in its early die state, where a circular die scratch below the date and above LIBERTY serves as the diagnostic marker for Stage A, with the reverse also in EDS condition. Stage B at mid-die-state and Stage C at late die state both remain unconfirmed. John Flanagan's Washington quarter design debuted in 1932, and by 1946 the series was well established in commerce. The circular die scratch is an especially useful pickup point because its distinctive curved shape stands out from the linear scratches more commonly found on Washington quarter dies, allowing collectors to quickly narrow candidates before confirming the subtle doubling on LIBERTY and date. Doubled die obverse varieties on Washington quarters from the mid-1940s are actively collected, and the light nature of the spread means higher-grade examples with crisp detail offer the best opportunity to observe the doubling.

Die Markers

• UVC-0603
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• Circular die scratch below date and above LIBERTY – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by ZAP's coins
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References