1941 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-017

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as DDO-017 under Universal Variety Code UVC-0461, this doubled die obverse on a 1941 Washington quarter shows a strong spread in the northward direction on the digits 41 of the date. Die marker records tracked as DMR-037 document three die stages: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse are in mid die state, and Stage C in late die state where a die crack extends from the eagle's right wing all the way to the Q of QUARTER, with the obverse also showing LDS deterioration. The 1941 Washington quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a 24.3 mm diameter. Philadelphia produced 79,032,000 quarters in 1941, the year the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor. John Flanagan's portrait of George Washington graces the obverse, with the date positioned below the bust where the strong northward spread of DDO-017 manifests. The strong spread on the date digits makes this one of the more dramatic doubled die obverse varieties for the 1941 Washington quarter, as date doubling is typically the most immediately noticeable diagnostic for collectors examining coins without magnification. The die crack progression documented in Stage C, extending from the eagle's wing to the Q of QUARTER, represents a substantial fracture spanning a significant portion of the reverse die face, and specimens exhibiting this late die state feature carry the added visual interest of the prominent crack alongside the obverse doubling.

Die Markers

• UVC-0461
• DMR-037
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die crack eagle's Right wing extends to Q of QUARTER – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References