2019 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Assigned the WDDO-002 designation for a 2019 America the Beautiful quarter issue, this doubled die obverse exhibits significant extra thickness on the RTY letters of LIBERTY on the obverse of John Flanagan's Washington quarter design. The Wexler Team noted the obverse die had reached very late die state (VLDS), with severe die deterioration doubling especially concentrated on the QUARTER DOLLAR inscription, while the reverse showed no significant die markers. An important provenance note accompanies this attribution: photographs published in Wexler's Coin World column for this variety were inadvertently swapped with images of a 2001-P North Carolina quarter showing die deterioration doubling, and the corrected photographs were subsequently identified. The distinction between genuine hub doubling and die deterioration doubling is critical for this variety, as the VLDS condition of the die produced deterioration effects on QUARTER DOLLAR that coexist with the attributed hub doubling on LIBERTY's RTY. Die deterioration doubling develops as the die surface fatigues through extended use, causing the incuse design cavities to spread and create shelf-like doubling on struck coins — an effect that is most pronounced on the last coins struck before the die was retired. The genuine hub doubling component on RTY of LIBERTY would exhibit characteristics inconsistent with deterioration, such as clean separation lines or directional spread that cannot be explained by progressive die wear alone. The Wexler Variety ID 2019-P 25¢ NMI WDDO-002 provides the formal catalog reference, with no additional cross-references from other attribution services currently documented.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael Poland Cross References: None known Comments: The photos for this variety that were published in Wexler's monthly Coin World column were actually of a 2001-P North Carolina quarter with die deterioration doubling. The correct photos, shown below, were erroneously used in a separate column in place of
• None known Comments: The photos for this variety that were published in Wexler's monthly Coin World column were actually of a 2001-P North Carolina quarter with die deterioration doubling. The correct photos, shown below, were erroneously used in a separate column in place of; Wexler Variety ID: 2019-P 25¢ NMI WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References