1948-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Sixth obverse doubled die cataloged for the 1948-D Franklin half dollar, DDO-006 presents a split-spread pattern: light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST paired with medium spread in a southeast direction on the date. This directional distinction — light on the motto but medium on the date — indicates the hub displacement had varying intensity across different regions of John R. Sinnock's obverse design, with the date area receiving a more pronounced secondary impression. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-298 and DMR-008, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where the obverse has progressed to late die state with the reverse LISTED as DDR-006 also at LDS. The Stage C notation reveals a dual-attribution die: the reverse die paired with this DDO-006 obverse is itself cataloged as DDR-006 (a doubled die reverse), creating a die marriage where both obverse and reverse carry hub doubling — a particularly desirable combination for variety collectors. Denver struck approximately 4.03 million Franklin half dollars in 1948, the inaugural year of the series that replaced the Walking Liberty half dollar. The 1948-D represents the first Denver Mint Franklin half dollar, and DDO-006's southeast directional spread on the date indicates the secondary hub impression landed below and to the right of the primary position, affecting the numerals 1, 9, 4, and 8 with varying degrees of displacement. The DDR-006 reverse pairing adds collector value, as specimens from this die marriage can potentially be attributed under both obverse and reverse doubled die designations. Collectors should examine the date digits under 15x magnification for southeast displacement, then flip the coin to check the reverse for the DDR-006 characteristics.

Die Markers

• UVC-298
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-006 – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References