Catalytic hydrogenolysis of daunomycinone (4) over palladium–carbon or palladium – barium sulfate afforded a mixture of 7-deoxydaunomycinone (5) and 7,11-dideoxydaunomycinone (6). 7-Deoxy-7-thioacetyldaunomycinone (8) and its 7-epimer (9) were prepared from 5 via the intermediate 7-deoxy-7-bromo derivative 7 in 33% yield. Compound 8 was prepared from 4 in a one-step reaction by treatment with thioacetic acid (THAA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA), in 13% yield. Refluxing 4 in a mixture of THAA and glacial acetic acid (GAA) increased the yield of 8 and 9 to 83%. Epimerization of 9 with TFAA afforded 8. Hydrolysis of 8 gave a mixture of thiodaunomycinone (10), 5, and bisanhydrodaunomycinone (11). Compound 10 converts partially into its dimeric form (12) on standing.