1950 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Holding the primary catalog position for the 1950 Philadelphia Washington Quarter, DDO-001 exhibits light spread across four obverse features: the date, designer's initials JF (John Flanagan, engraved at the base of Washington's neck truncation), LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST. Jose Cortez reported this variety. The involvement of Flanagan's small, precisely cut initials as a pickup point is diagnostically valuable — the compact JF monogram provides a sensitive surface where even light hub displacement produces measurable offset on the fine letterforms. Spread across four widely separated obverse areas indicates a hub misalignment broad enough to affect both the lower die (date, initials) and the upper arcs (LIBERTY, motto), suggesting uniform lateral displacement rather than a localized rotational component. The 1950 Washington Quarter was struck in 90% silver at 6.25 grams, produced during a period of modest mintages that makes Philadelphia issues from this era more elusive in high grades than their later counterparts. As DDO-001, this variety anchors the doubled die obverse catalog for the date and represents the most significant documented obverse hub doubling for the 1950 Philadelphia issue. Collectors should begin examination at the JF initials under 7x to 10x magnification, where the light spread is most readily confirmed against the fine engraving.

External References