2015 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-030

Description

Falling at position thirty in the Wexler doubled die reverse census for the 2015-P Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Quarter, WDDR-030 — cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 2015-P 25¢ DE WDDR-030 — sits in the middle tier of the extensive Bombay Hook doubled die sequence, an area of the census typically comprising varieties of moderate subtlety that were identified after the most prominent varieties but before the very faintest entries that round out the higher numbers. Phebe Hemphill's reverse design, with its great blue heron standing in the tidal marshes of Delaware Bay, provides the design framework within which this hub doubling manifests. The Bombay Hook refuge, one of the premier birding destinations on the Atlantic Flyway, was established in 1677 as a waterfowl refuge and now protects critical habitat for migratory shorebirds — a historical significance that adds collecting depth beyond the variety's numismatic diagnostics. The hub misalignment that produced WDDR-030 resulted from the working die receiving multiple impressions from the production hub with a slight positional offset between applications, embedding a permanent secondary design image into the die face that transferred to every coin struck from that die throughout its working life. The 2015-P Philadelphia Mint quarter was struck in copper-nickel clad composition at 5.67 grams, and the Bombay Hook issue's prolific DDR production — exceeding fifty entries — has made it one of the primary target issues for ATB doubled die specialists. Collectors should acquire mint-state specimens and examine the reverse at 7x to 10x magnification under varied lighting angles to detect the specific areas and direction of hub displacement unique to WDDR-030.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Alfonso Lopez Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2015-P 25¢ DE WDDR-030
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References