1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008

Description

Proof Washington silver quarters from 1963 continue the deep doubled die census documented across the late pre-clad era, and WDDO-008 records a close spread toward the rim on IN GOD WE TRUST. The "toward the rim" direction is the inverse of the more common "toward the center" pattern, indicating the secondary hub impression displaced the motto letters outward away from John Flanagan's Washington portrait rather than inward. A die gouge positioned to the left of the upper R in LIBERTY provides the key obverse die marker — a raised irregularity on the coin's surface that fingerprints this specific working die. No significant reverse die markers were noted. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 1963 25c Pr WDDO-008, with no other known cross-references. Philadelphia produced approximately 3.08 million proof sets in 1963, the penultimate year of 90% silver proof quarter production before the composition change took effect. Close spread toward the rim on IGWT means the secondary letter images sit just outside the primary impressions, creating a subtle fringe effect on the outward edges of the letters that requires careful magnification to detect — the letters may appear slightly wider on their outer edges than their inner edges when compared against confirmed undoubled specimens. The die gouge near the upper R in LIBERTY offers the essential screening criterion, enabling collectors to rapidly identify candidates from the die before committing to the demanding motto examination. As the eighth obverse doubled die documented for proof 1963 quarters, this variety reflects thorough community examination of this high-volume proof date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1963 25¢ Pr WDDO-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References