1948 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

John Flanagan's Washington quarter entered its sixteenth year of production in 1948 when WDDO-001 was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, preserving a clockwise pivoted hub doubling that radiates outward from a pivot point at approximately the 2 o'clock position. This rotational misalignment produces spread on the date, the designer's initials (JF for John Flanagan, located at the base of Washington's neck), and on IN GOD WE TRUST — all elements positioned away from the 2 o'clock pivot where angular displacement accumulates most visibly. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 1948 25 cent WDDO-001, noting no significant die markers on either obverse or reverse beyond the doubling itself. No other cross-references were known at the time of documentation. Philadelphia produced approximately 35.2 million quarters in 1948, all struck in 90% silver composition — a format that would continue until the Coinage Act of 1965 mandated the switch to copper-nickel clad. Clockwise pivoted doubling manifests differently at different distances from the pivot center: elements nearest the pivot show minimal displacement, while those furthest away display the most dramatic spread. The date and JF initials, both located in the lower portion of the obverse away from the pivot, serve as the most effective diagnostic zones. As WDDO-001, this is the primary doubled die obverse for the 1948 Philadelphia quarter and the first variety collectors should check when examining this date for hub doubling.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Gary Wagnon Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1948 25¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References