1945-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1945-D 25¢ WDDO-001, this Washington Silver Quarter displays a counterclockwise spread from a pivot point at approximately 8 o'clock, visible on LIBERTY, the lower queue (ponytail), the designer's initials JF, and the date. The CCW rotation from an 8 o'clock pivot means the secondary hub impression rotated slightly counterclockwise around a point in the lower-left area of the die, generating maximum displacement on design elements positioned opposite the pivot — explaining why LIBERTY at the top of the coin and the date at the bottom-right show the most prominent doubling while features near the 8 o'clock position display minimal separation. Obverse die markers include a very strong die scratch running east-southeast from the lower right of the 9 in the date to the rim below the 4, a die crack with small die chips running northwest-to-southeast through the hair below the RT in LIBERTY, and a die crack running across the base of the bust. The reverse shows a thin curving die scratch from the lower A to the second T in STATES. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are currently known. The 1945-D Washington Quarter was struck at the Denver Mint in 90% silver composition (90% silver, 10% copper) weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.26 mm, during the final months of World War II. John Flanagan designed the Washington Quarter with the obverse based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's celebrated bust of the first president, and the heraldic eagle reverse featuring laurel and olive branches served from 1932 through 1998. As the first cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1945-D date, this variety holds the primary position in its DDO family, and the strong die scratch from the 9 to the rim provides an excellent quick-check attribution marker.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ralph Huntzinger Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1945-D 25¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References