2008 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

Located on the 2008-P New Mexico State Quarter, WDDO-005 was identified by the Wexler Team and displays doubling on the underside of Washington's earlobe — a small but diagnostic feature that experienced attributors can check quickly when screening potential specimens. The Wexler designation "2008-P 25c NM WDDO-005" confirms this as a Philadelphia Mint issue with the New Mexico reverse, which features the Zia sun symbol over a topographic outline of the state. Die markers are concentrated on the reverse: a die scratch running SW/NE above the left side of the state outline and a die gouge connecting the bottom right of the M in MEXICO to the top of the second 1 in the 1912 statehood date. No significant obverse markers have been identified, and no cross-references to other attribution systems are currently known. The earlobe doubling diagnostic is characteristic of certain hub doubling mechanisms where the spread direction aligns with features on the lower portion of Washington's portrait. John Flanagan's Washington Quarter obverse, continuously used since 1932, features a detailed ear and earlobe rendering that responds visibly to even subtle hub displacement. The 2008-P New Mexico Quarter was the fourth of five 2008 State Quarter releases and was among the final issues in the fifty-state program that had captivated collectors since 1999. Five cataloged doubled die obverses for this specific date and design reflects the thorough examination these popular coins received from variety researchers during the program's concluding year. State Quarters attracted an unprecedented number of new collectors to numismatics, and many became interested in die varieties through examining their state quarter finds.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Edward Stewart Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2008-P 25¢ NM WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References