2002-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 2002-D 25¢ OH WDDO-003, this doubled die obverse on the 2002-D Ohio State Quarter documents a hubbing misalignment that produced visible doubling on the obverse design elements rather than the reverse — placing it in the DDO category where the affected features include John Flanagan's Washington portrait, the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR. Doubled die obverse varieties on State Quarters carry a different diagnostic dynamic than reverse DDRs because the obverse design remained constant throughout the entire 1999-2008 program, meaning DDO attributors needed to examine the same portrait and inscriptions across all fifty state issues to identify and distinguish hub doubling from the die deterioration doubling that naturally accumulates on heavily used obverse dies. The "OH" in the Wexler ID identifies Ohio as the state, and the 2002 Ohio Quarter's reverse — designed by Donna Weaver and depicting an astronaut, the Wright Brothers' airplane, and Ohio's outline — was the 17th design released in the State Quarter program. The Denver Mint's "D" mintmark distinguishes this from Philadelphia WDDO varieties carrying their own separate sequence numbers. As the third documented DDO for the 2002-D Ohio Quarter, WDDO-003 indicates that at least three different Denver Mint obverse dies carried confirmed hub doubling for this issue — a manageable number that reflects the focused die production required for each quarter-year's design. Struck in copper-nickel clad composition at 5.67 grams, the State Quarter's obverse design elements provide multiple reference points for detecting doubling, particularly on the fine hair detail of Washington's portrait and the precise serifs of the surrounding inscriptions.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charles D. Hudson Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2002-D 25¢ OH WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References