1965 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team and cross-referenced as CONECA 1-O-IV and Cherrypickers FS-25-1965-101 (026), the 1965 WDDO-001 is among the most significant doubled die varieties in the Washington quarter series. This Class IV spread to the south affects an extensive range of obverse design elements: LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, the eye, the top of the head, the hair details on the back of the head, and the queue — George Washington's characteristic tied-back ponytail on John Flanagan's portrait. The breadth of affected elements across the entire obverse face indicates a substantial hub displacement during die preparation. Die markers on the obverse include a short die scratch running south from the nose, while the reverse carries a die crack running from the upper right E in AMERICA through the upper R to the rim. The 1965 quarter holds exceptional historical significance as the first year of the copper-nickel clad composition, replacing the 90% silver standard that had been used since 1932. Struck on clad planchets weighing 5.67 grams with a diameter of 24.26 mm, these quarters were produced without mintmarks from 1965 through 1967 as part of the Coinage Act of 1965 provisions designed to discourage hoarding during the silver-to-clad transition. The absence of mintmarks means this variety could have been struck at Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco, adding an element of mint-of-origin mystery that distinguishes all 1965-1967 clad coinage from surrounding years.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jim Lafferty Cross References: CONECA: 1-O-IV, Cherrypickers: FS-25-1965-101 (026)
• CONECA: 1-O-IV, Cherrypickers: FS-25-1965-101 (026); Wexler Variety ID: 1965 25¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References