1946-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

First in the Wexler reverse doubled die census for the 1946-D Washington quarter, WDDR-001 displays a very close spread toward the center on USA and E PLURIBUS UNUM — two inscriptions positioned at different heights on John Flanagan's heraldic eagle reverse, whose simultaneous involvement indicates a hub displacement affecting the full die face rather than a localized anomaly. Denver struck approximately 9.07 million quarters in 1946, the first full post-war production year following the hiatus and reduced output of the wartime period, as the Mint resumed normal operations and began rebuilding civilian coin supplies depleted during World War II. The obverse carries a die crack running across the base of Washington's bust — a progressive die failure that provides a secondary authentication marker independent of the reverse doubling. The reverse bears its own die crack running down the eagle's right wing, establishing that both dies in this marriage had reached an advanced state of deterioration, consistent with extended service during the post-war production ramp-up when dies may have been used longer than usual to meet demand. The very close spread designation means the hub doubling on USA and EPU produces thickened letterforms rather than distinctly separated secondary images, requiring 15-20x magnification and good lighting to confirm. The Wexler Variety ID 1946-D 25¢ WDDR-001 serves as the primary catalog reference, with no additional cross-references from CONECA or other attribution services currently known. Collectors should use the obverse bust crack and reverse wing crack as initial screening diagnostics — if both cracks are present, the correct die pair has been identified, and detailed examination of USA and EPU for the inward-directed spread can proceed with confidence.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D 25¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References