1968-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Positioned fourth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1968-S Roosevelt dime, DDO-004 exhibits extra thickness on the designer's initials JS (for John R. Sinnock), IN GOD WE TRUST, and LIBERTY — three inscription zones that span the obverse periphery and indicate a broad angular displacement during hub doubling. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-515 and DMR-006, documenting three die stages: Stage A where both obverse and reverse surfaces exhibit early die state characteristics, Stage B where both sides have progressed to mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The EDS and MDS confirmations for Stages A and B provide collectors with verified reference points for die state progression. The reverse die is identified as RDV-002, the "strong flame" reverse design variant, which features a more prominent flame on the torch within the olive branch and torch motif — an additional confirmation diagnostic when attributing this variety. San Francisco's role shifted significantly in 1968 when it became the exclusive facility for proof coinage production, a responsibility it has maintained continuously since. The 1968-S dime production encompassed both proof strikes and circulation-quality coins, and the DDO-004 designation does not specify proof-only attribution, suggesting the variety may appear on either production type. Collectors should examine the JS initials at the base of Roosevelt's neck truncation, then verify the extra thickness on IGWT and LIBERTY under 10-15x magnification. The RDV-002 strong flame reverse provides a quick secondary checkpoint — comparing the torch flame against known RDV-001 (standard flame) examples confirms the correct reverse die pairing before investing time in obverse doubling analysis.

Die Markers

• UVC-515
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References