1950-S Over Mint Mark WOMM-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1950-S 25¢ WOMM-001 and extensively cross-referenced as CONECA OMM #1, Cherrypickers FS-25-1950S-601 (022), and Breen #4351, this Washington Silver Quarter exhibits an over mintmark variety — a class of die variety where one mintmark letter was punched over a different mintmark letter, creating a composite impression showing traces of both letters. Over mintmark varieties are among the most historically significant die varieties because they document the Mint's practice of repurposing working dies between facilities, where a die originally prepared for one mint would have its mintmark replaced by punching the new facility's letter over the original. The Breen #4351 cross-reference places this variety in Walter Breen's comprehensive Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Coins, confirming its long-established place in numismatic scholarship. The Cherrypickers FS-25-1950S-601 listing further validates it as a variety actively sought by collectors examining 1950-S quarter rolls. The Wexler Team's attribution notes include a request for the opportunity to photograph a higher grade specimen of this variety, indicating that better-preserved examples are needed to fully document the OMM characteristics. The Washington Silver Quarter was designed by John Flanagan and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1950 in 90% silver composition weighing 6.25 grams with a 24.26 mm diameter. The San Francisco Mint's role as a secondary production facility made its dies candidates for the cross-mint die transfer practices that generated over mintmark varieties. The convergence of CONECA, Cherrypickers, Breen, and Wexler documentation on this single variety reflects its recognized importance across multiple independent attribution systems.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown Cross References: CONECA: OMM #1, Cherrypickers: FS-25-1950S-601 (022), Breen: #4351 Comments: I would welcome the opportunity to photograph a higher grade specimen of this variety.
• CONECA: OMM #1, Cherrypickers: FS-25-1950S-601 (022), Breen: #4351 Comments: I would welcome the opportunity to photograph a higher grade specimen of this variety.; Wexler Variety ID: 1950-S 25¢ WOMM-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References