1946-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Fourth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1946-S Roosevelt dime, DDO-004 displays light spread on the date, designer John R. Sinnock's initials JS (visible from top to bottom), and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-100 and DMR-008, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B also at early die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where both obverse and reverse surfaces have progressed to late die state. The LDS confirmation at Stage C indicates that specimens exist showing advanced die wear, providing researchers with a documented endpoint for this die's production life. Additional comments identify the obverse as ODV-001 and the reverse as MMS-002 (Ball serif) — the ball serif S mintmark style featuring rounded, bulbous serif terminals that distinguish this punch from the sharper serif varieties used on other San Francisco dies. The 1946-S Roosevelt dime was the inaugural year of production for John R. Sinnock's design, which replaced Adolph Weinman's Mercury (Winged Liberty Head) dime that had served since 1916. San Francisco struck approximately 27.9 million Roosevelt dimes in 1946, the first-year issue that established the design used continuously through the present day. First-year doubled dies carry particular historical significance because they represent anomalies from the initial die production run for a new design, when the die-making process was being calibrated for the new hub. The light spread on the date and IN GOD WE TRUST requires examination under 15-20x magnification, while the designer's initials JS provide an additional fine-detail area where displacement may be detectable.

Die Markers

• UVC-100
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References