1969-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Cataloged as DDO-002 for the 1969-S Washington quarter clad proof, this variety displays a distinctive triple-impression effect on IN GOD WE TRUST, with the first hubbing showing a northeast orientation on a smeared and sloped surface and the second hubbing displaced to the southeast, producing visible doubling on the lower edges of the motto. Reported by Bill Fivaz — co-author of the Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties and one of the most influential figures in modern die variety attribution — this DDO carries particular provenance credibility. John Flanagan's Washington quarter design, in production since 1932, positions the IN GOD WE TRUST motto in a recessed area above Washington's head that tends to capture hub doubling effects with notable clarity. The 1969-S proof quarter was struck at San Francisco using polished dies and specially prepared planchets, and proof die doubling varieties are especially prized by collectors because the mirror-like fields and frosted devices provide high-contrast surfaces that make even subtle doubling more visible than on business-strike coins. The comments note that the obverse is listed as RPM-001, cross-referenced as FS-102/501, indicating this die also carries a repunched mintmark — the S mintmark showing evidence of a secondary impression — making this a dual-attribution variety with both doubled die and RPM characteristics. Bill Fivaz noted the need for new color digital photographs of a specimen, indicating that updated reference imagery would benefit the attribution community. The weird triple impression effect suggests a complex multi-hubbing event where the die received at least two additional impressions at different orientations, creating a layered diagnostic pattern more intricate than typical single-direction doubling.

External References