1952-S Variety WMHO-001

Description

The San Francisco Mint`s 1952 quarter production adds another chapter to the WMHO-001 master hub doubling that spans all Washington Quarters from 1951 through 1954. Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1952-S 25-cent WMHO-001 and classified by CONECA as SD-4-O-V, this variety shows a moderate clockwise spread from a pivot near 3:00 on IN GOD WE TRUST. The S-mintmark distinguishes these from their Philadelphia and Denver siblings, though all three facilities used working dies derived from the same doubled master hub. San Francisco in the early 1950s was transitioning toward its eventual role as the primary proof and collector coin facility, but in 1952 it still produced substantial quantities of circulating silver coinage. The WMHO designation — Wexler Master Hub Obverse — signals that this doubling sits at the apex of the die hierarchy rather than on any individual die. Identifying the variety requires examining the motto under magnification, looking for the characteristic clockwise shift where secondary letter images appear displaced from the primary strike. Strength varies from coin to coin based on the accumulated wear each working die experienced before striking.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: CONECA: SD-4-O-V Comments: Because the master hub is designed to be used over a period of several years, this one was used during the period from 1951 through 1954. Consequently most Washington quarters during that period of time will show this doubling. Differences in the appearance of the doubling will be due to wear on the working hubs, wear on the working dies, and wear on the coins themselves.
• CONECA: SD-4-O-V Comments: Because the master hub is designed to be used over a period of several years, this one was used during the period from 1951 through 1954. Consequently most Washington quarters during that period of time will show this doubling. Differences in the appearance of the doubling will be due to wear on the working hubs, wear on the working dies, and wear on the coins themselves.; Wexler Variety ID: 1952-S 25¢ WMHO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References