1952 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista on a proof striking, the 1952 Washington Quarter DDO-003 presents light spread on ERTY of LIBERTY — the final four letters of the inscription on John Flanagan's obverse portrait of George Washington. The light intensity means the doubling is subtle, requiring magnification to resolve the secondary contours adjacent to the primary letterforms. Die markers UVC-0788 and DMR-013 identify the working die across three documented stages: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B with both obverse and reverse in mid-die state, and Stage C in late die state (unconfirmed). The obverse is further classified as Obverse Die Variety ODV-006, linking it to the broader die variety catalog for the 1952 proof date. As a proof issue, this coin was struck on specially prepared polished planchets using polished dies at the Philadelphia Mint, producing the mirror-like fields and frosted design elements characteristic of proof coinage. Struck in 90% silver at 6.25 grams, this 1952 proof predates the 1965 compositional transition. The concentration of doubling on only part of LIBERTY — ERTY rather than the full inscription — suggests the hub displacement axis ran through the obverse in a direction that maximized visible effects in that specific area while leaving other regions less affected.

Die Markers

• UVC-0788
• DMR-013
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lee Hiemke
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References