1976-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

An entirely different denomination from the identically numbered Kennedy Half Dollar DDO-004, this 1976-S proof Washington Quarter features medium spread on the dual date "1776-1976." John Flanagan's portrait of George Washington appears on the obverse, while Jack L. Ahr's Colonial Drummer reverse — depicting a Revolutionary War drummer boy with a victory torch encircled by thirteen stars — replaced the heraldic eagle for the 1975-1976 Bicentennial cycle. This copper-nickel clad proof was struck at the San Francisco Mint. Die markers UVC-485 and DMR-008 identify the obverse working die across three stages: Stage A with obverse and reverse in Early Die State, Stage B in Mid Die State (unconfirmed), and Stage C in Late Die State (unconfirmed). The medium spread on the eight-digit Bicentennial date provides an expansive doubling field with twice as many numerals as a standard date. The Colonial Drummer reverse makes this issue instantly recognizable among Washington Quarter varieties. Proof fields enhance detection under 5x to 7x magnification, with the date as the primary pickup point.

Die Markers

• UVC-485
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Nienaber
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References