1955 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

A proof-only doubled die obverse on the 1955 Washington quarter, DDO-003 shows extra thickness on IN GOD WE TRUST and the R of LIBERTY — a combination affecting both the motto and a single letter from the LIBERTY inscription. The "extra thickness" designation indicates the secondary hub impression sits very close to the primary, creating letters that appear wider or bolder than normal rather than showing clear separation between doubled images. Reported by Lee Hiemke, this variety was struck at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the 1955 proof set, which had a mintage of 378,200 sets — among the lower proof mintages of the 1950s. The proof-only nature of this variety means every example was struck on polished planchets with specially prepared dies, and the reflective proof fields can actually make the extra thickness more difficult to detect than on business strikes because the mirror finish alters how light interacts with the raised design. Collectors examining 1955 proof quarters should focus on the vertical stroke of the R in LIBERTY and the serifs of TRUST under 7-10x magnification, using a single-point light source to cast shadows along the design edges.

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