1959 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Light spread on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, and the ribbon end identifies this 1959 Philadelphia Mint Washington Silver Quarter as the sixth documented doubled die obverse for this transitional date. VarietyVista catalogs the variety with die markers UVC-0941 and DMR-012, documenting three die stages: Stage A at Early Die State is unconfirmed, Stage B shows both obverse and reverse in Mid Die State, and Stage C at Late Die State remains unconfirmed. The 1959 Washington Quarter holds particular significance as the last year that quarters were struck in the 90% silver composition that had been used since 1932 — the Coinage Act of 1965 would mandate the switch to copper-nickel clad, ending over three decades of silver quarter production. John Flanagan's portrait of George Washington, adapted from the Jean-Antoine Houdon bust, features detailed hair, facial features, and the inscription elements that serve as sensitive indicators of hub misalignment during die production. The light spread affecting LIBERTY, the motto, the date, and the ribbon end suggests a slight lateral or rotational displacement during hubbing. Six doubled die obverses for 1959-P reflects the comprehensive research that has been applied to final-year silver quarters, which attract attention from both die variety specialists and collectors of the silver Washington Quarter type series.

Die Markers

• UVC-0941
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References