2016 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-044

Description

Appearing on a 2016 Philadelphia Mint America the Beautiful quarter honoring Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, this forty-fourth Wexler doubled die reverse concentrates its doubling within the windows of the arch above the center doorway of the historic armory building — a remarkably specific architectural location that demonstrates how precisely die variety researchers map doubled die effects. The doubling is visible in the second window from the left in the bottom row, an area requiring magnification and careful lighting to distinguish the secondary hub impression from the primary design. Obverse die markers include a die crack running along the base of Washington's bust with die chips at the designer's initials, while the reverse shows no significant secondary markers beyond the doubling itself. The Wexler Team cataloged this as WDDR-044 with the full designation 2016-P 25-cent WV WDDR-044, and no other cross-references are currently known. The America the Beautiful quarter program, which ran from 2010 through 2021, issued five unique reverse designs annually depicting national parks and sites — each new design creating fresh opportunities for hub doubling in previously unseen compositions. Harpers Ferry's reverse featured John Brown's Fort, the armory engine house that became a focal point of the 1859 raid, and the detailed architectural rendering of its windows, doors, and stonework provided numerous small-scale elements where doubling could occur. Forty-four documented DDR varieties for a single ATB quarter design reflects the massive production volumes and collector interest that characterized this popular program.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marilyn Keeney Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2016-P 25¢ WV WDDR-044
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References