1942-D Doubled Die Obverse

The 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse is one of the prominent wartime hub-doubled varieties in the Washington quarter series, attributed by PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, as FS-101 in the Cherrypickers' Guide reference system. The doubling shows clearly on IN GOD WE TRUST and on the date 1942, the result of a misaligned hubbing during die preparation when the working die received two impressions slightly offset from one another. The combined Denver mintage for the date was 17,487,200 pieces, but only a portion of that total came off the doubled die; surviving examples of the variety are scarce relative to the standard 1942-D, and properly attributed pieces command substantial premiums when offered.

Authentication begins with a five-to-ten-power loupe on the obverse motto. Genuine hub doubling on the variety produces clear separation on the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST, particularly visible on TRUST, and rounded secondary impressions in the digits of the date. Machine doubling, which is not collectible doubling and reflects only die chatter at the moment of strike, shows as a flat shelf-like effect rather than the rounded, fully-formed secondary image hub doubling produces. The distinction matters because raw "1942-D DDO" listings often include machine-doubled coins that do not meet the variety standard. Buy this coin certified by PCGS or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, with the FS-101 designation noted on the holder. Strike on the variety follows the typical wartime pattern of modest softness on hair detail above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers, so condition censuses skew toward MS63 through MS65 rather than the absolute top grades.

The variety has been a Cherrypickers' favorite for decades, and population growth has been steady but not rapid, which keeps the certified market thin. Realistic acquisition is a PCGS or NGC slabbed MS63 to MS65 sourced through a major auction house, with prices considerably higher than the standard 1942-D in matching grades. Set collectors pursuing the complete Washington quarter variety run treat the coin as one of the cornerstone wartime entries alongside the 1943 and 1943-S doubled dies and the 1937 DDO. For the broader story of John Flanagan's design and the series' production arc, see the Washington Quarter series history.