1967 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Fourth in the Wexler-documented obverse doubled die census for the 1967 Washington quarter, WDDO-004 presents a strong spread towards the center on LIBERTY — a diagnostic that places the secondary hub impression inward relative to the primary lettering on John Flanagan's obverse portrait of George Washington. The 1967 date falls within the 1965-1967 transitional period when the United States Mint eliminated mintmarks from all denominations and discontinued proof production in response to the nationwide coin shortage, producing only Special Mint Set specimens as enhanced-quality alternatives. All quarters struck during this period used the copper-nickel clad composition introduced in 1965 to replace the 90% silver standard. Obverse die markers include a small die gouge below the L in LIBERTY, providing a secondary diagnostic independent of the doubling itself, while the reverse carries numerous die scratches running southwest to northeast to the left of the eagle's head. These die-specific fingerprints allow attributors to confirm the correct die pair before evaluating the doubled die characteristic. The Wexler Team cataloged this variety under Wexler Variety ID: 1967 25¢ WDDO-004, with no additional cross-references currently known from other attribution services. The strong spread designation elevates this variety above the light and medium categories, indicating the hub displacement produced clearly visible separation on LIBERTY even at moderate magnification. Collectors should examine the letters of LIBERTY under 10-15x magnification, looking for inward-displaced secondary impressions, then confirm the die gouge below L and the reverse scratches near the eagle to verify the die pair identity.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Gary Wagnon Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1967 25¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References