1966 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Assigned the DDR-002 designation for the 1966 Roosevelt dime, this variety exhibits medium extra thickness on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the upper leaves, with additional strong spread on the flame tips and light thickness on ONE DIME — a graduated display across multiple design elements that maps the displacement pattern of the secondary hub impression. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-499 and DMR-004, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both reverse and obverse surfaces have reached mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B establishes a verified die state reference point. This variety is designated as SMS (Special Mint Set), identifying it as a product of the 1966 Special Mint Set program that replaced traditional proof and uncirculated sets during the 1965-1967 period when mintmarks were removed from all coinage. SMS coins received special handling — struck on specially selected planchets with higher-than-normal striking pressure using polished dies — producing specimens with a distinctive finish intermediate between business strike and proof quality. John R. Sinnock's torch-and-branches reverse design provides excellent surfaces for detecting doubled die varieties, as the flame tips, leaf veins, and bold inscription lettering all provide fine detail that reveals hub displacement. The 1966 SMS dime is of particular interest to variety collectors because the enhanced striking quality of SMS production creates sharper initial detail that makes doubling diagnostics more clearly visible. Collectors should examine UNITED STATES OF AMERICA across the upper reverse under 10-15x magnification for the medium extra thickness, then compare the flame tips where stronger spread may be visible, and finally check ONE DIME where lighter doubling is indicated.

Die Markers

• UVC-499
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Bowman
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References