1958 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID 1958 25c Pr WDDO-001 with no other known cross-references, this doubled die obverse on the 1958 Proof Washington Quarter holds the primary DDO catalog position for this date, indicating it was the first documented or most significant obverse hub doubling variety for the issue. The Pr designation in the Wexler catalog number confirms this as a proof issue, struck at the Philadelphia Mint on specially prepared polished planchets using polished dies to produce mirror-field surfaces with frosted design elements. The 1958 Proof Washington Quarter was composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm — part of the final era of silver proof quarter production before the Coinage Act of 1965 transitioned the denomination to copper-nickel clad. John Flanagan's Washington portrait, featuring the first president in left-facing profile with LIBERTY above and IN GOD WE TRUST below, provides the obverse design elements where the doubled die characteristics manifest. As a proof coin, the mirror-like fields create high contrast against the raised design elements, amplifying the visibility of doubled die features that might be difficult to detect on the softer surfaces of business strikes. The WDDO-001 designation as the primary variety for this date and the absence of additional cross-references in CONECA or Cherrypickers' catalogs suggests this variety occupies a niche primarily documented within the Wexler system. The 1958 proof quarter, distributed through annual proof sets, represents the penultimate year of proof set production before the 1965-1967 hiatus. Collectors should examine the obverse inscriptions and portrait details under 10x magnification, using the proof's reflective background to detect displacement.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Mulberry Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1958 25¢ Pr WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References