1939 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-009

Description

Ninth in the Wexler-documented obverse doubled die census for the 1939 Washington quarter, WDDO-009 shows a clockwise spread pivoting from approximately the 2 o'clock position on IN GOD WE TRUST, with slight doubling extending to the date and the bottom of the ribbon on John Flanagan's obverse design. The pivoted clockwise spread from 2 o'clock means the secondary hub impression rotated around a fixed point in the upper-right quadrant of the die, producing maximum displacement at positions diametrically opposite — in the lower-left area where the date resides and where the ribbon detail sits below Washington's bust. The Wexler Team documented an obverse die marker: a die scratch that curves northeast from the right side of the R in LIBERTY, providing a diagnostic independent of the doubling for die confirmation. No significant reverse die markers were recorded. Philadelphia struck approximately 33.55 million quarters in 1939, a pre-war production year when Flanagan's Washington quarter design was in its eighth year of production and still relatively early in the series' eventual nine-decade run. The clockwise rotational mechanism classifies this as a Class II variety in the Wexler system, where the displacement at any given point on the die depends on its angular distance from the pivot, creating variable doubling intensity across the die face. The slight designation for the date and ribbon doubling confirms the diminished displacement expected at locations near the rotation axis. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1939 25c WDDO-009, with no additional attribution system listings currently known. Collectors should first locate the curved die scratch from R in LIBERTY to confirm the die, then examine IN GOD WE TRUST under 15-20x magnification for the clockwise rotational spread, paying particular attention to letters farthest from the 2 o'clock pivot where displacement is greatest.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1939 25¢ WDDO-009
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References