1945 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Sixth in the Wexler obverse doubled die census for the 1945 Washington silver quarter, WDDO-006 exhibits a strong counterclockwise spread pivoting from approximately the 6 o'clock position, with the doubling most visible on LIBERTY and the bottom of the ribbon trailing from the wreath on Liberty's head. John Flanagan designed the Washington quarter obverse in 1932, basing his portrait on Jean-Antoine Houdon's famous 1785 bust, and the ribbon detail at the base of the queue provides fine sculptural lines that amplify even subtle rotational displacement. Philadelphia struck approximately 74.4 million silver quarters in 1945, the final year of wartime production before the return to normal peacetime output levels. The counterclockwise rotational spread — pivoting from the 6 o'clock position — represents a Class IV (Offset Rotated Hub) doubling mechanism where the hub and die were slightly rotated relative to each other during the secondary impression, creating displacement that increases with distance from the pivot point. LIBERTY, positioned along the upper left obverse rim, sits far from the 6 o'clock pivot, which explains why the spread is most prominent there — the angular displacement translates to greater linear separation at greater radial distances from the rotation center. Obverse die markers include a light die scratch running northwest from the bottom of Washington's eye, providing a secondary confirmation diagnostic. No significant reverse die markers were noted. The Wexler Variety ID is 1945 25¢ WDDO-006, with no additional cross-references from other attribution services. Collectors should orient the coin with 6 o'clock at bottom and examine LIBERTY and the ribbon area under 12-18x magnification, looking for the characteristic counterclockwise shift where secondary letter impressions appear displaced in the rotational direction from the primary.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Feld Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1945 25¢ WDDO-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References