1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Carrying the second doubled die obverse designation for the 1946 Washington quarter, WDDO-002 was attributed by the Wexler Team under the reference 1946 25 cents WDDO-002. No cross-references to other attribution systems such as CONECA or Cherrypickers exist for this variety. The 1946 quarter marked the return to peacetime coinage after World War II, with a Philadelphia Mint production run in 90% silver and 10% copper composition at 6.25 grams — the standard specification that had been in continuous use since the denomination's introduction in 1932. Hub misalignment during die manufacture produced doubling on the obverse design elements, and the WDDO-002 catalog number indicates this is the second unique obverse working die documented with such displacement for the 1946 date. John Flanagan's Washington portrait, initially selected through a design competition in 1931, had been in use for fourteen years by 1946, and the hub's design relief had been refined over that period, meaning the specific hub geometry interacting with the die during the misalignment event reflects a mid-series production standard. Without recorded die markers, the doubling pattern itself serves as the sole identification criterion — its direction, affected elements, and intensity must match published reference material for positive attribution. Collectors seeking this variety should focus on the lettering of IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY as primary examination zones where hub displacement most commonly produces detectable spread on the Washington quarter obverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1946 25¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References