2023 Variety WWHO-003

Description

Cataloged as WWHO-003 for the 2023-P American Women Quarter honoring Edith Kanaka'ole, this doubled working hub obverse variety represents a die preparation anomaly on one of the most culturally significant modern quarter designs. Edith Kanaka'ole (1913-1979) was a revered Native Hawaiian educator, kumu hula (hula master), and cultural practitioner whose advocacy helped preserve traditional Hawaiian language, chant, and dance during a period when these traditions faced decline. The quarter's obverse — the standard Washington portrait common to all quarters since 2022 — is where the doubled working hub manifests: slight doubling appears northeast on the eyelid, while strong doubling is visible north in the lower hair detail. The "working hub" designation (WWHO rather than WDDO) indicates the doubling occurred one step earlier in the die production chain — during the creation of the working hub from the master die — meaning every working die produced from that hub could potentially carry the same doubling, making WWHO varieties potentially more widespread than individual doubled die events. Wexler documented this variety as 2023-P 25c EK WWHO-003 with a tentative classification, noting it has only been confirmed on Philadelphia-minted specimens to date. The tentative designation suggests the attribution may be refined as additional specimens are examined and the die production sequence is better understood. The American Women Quarter Program (2022-2025) replaced the earlier crossing-the-Delaware reverse with annually rotating designs honoring pioneering women, and Edith Kanaka'ole's inclusion in the 2023 series brought Hawaiian cultural heritage to the national stage. Collectors should examine the eyelid area and lower hair detail on the obverse Washington portrait under 15-20x magnification, looking for the northeast displacement on the eyelid and the stronger northward doubling in the hair.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tanner Scott Cross References: None known Comments: WWHO-003 is currently only known on 2023-P Kanaka'ole quarters. This listing is tentative and subject to change as more research on the 2022 and 2023 master die and working hub issues is done.
• None known Comments: WWHO-003 is currently only known on 2023-P Kanaka'ole quarters. This listing is tentative and subject to change as more research on the 2022 and 2023 master die and working hub issues is done.; Wexler Variety ID: 2023-P 25¢ EK WWHO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References