1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-016

Description

Sixteenth doubled die obverse documented for the 1963 Washington Silver Quarter proof, this variety shows close spread directed towards the rim on IN GOD WE TRUST and the bottom of the ribbon — a distinctive doubling pattern indicating hub rotation between impressions. A die gouge on the right side of the W in WE and a die scratch extending from the lower right wing southwest to the U in UNITED on the reverse provide secondary die markers for attribution, even when the primary doubling is faint or worn. Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1963 25c Pr WDDO-016, this variety exists within the proof production environment at Philadelphia, where dies were specially polished and coins struck multiple times on prepared planchets to produce mirror-like fields and frosted design elements. The close spread toward the rim suggests Class V pivoted hub doubling, where the hub rotated slightly between successive impressions during die preparation, producing a spread that increases with distance from the pivot point. The 1963 proof quarter was struck in 90% silver composition — the penultimate year of silver proof quarters before the transition to copper-nickel clad in 1965. Sixteen doubled die obverses documented for a single proof date demonstrates the remarkable depth of die variety research on silver proof Washington Quarters, where controlled striking conditions actually make doubling easier to detect against pristine proof surfaces.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1963 25¢ Pr WDDO-016
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References