How to Identify the 1934 Washington Quarter Doubled Die Obverse

What This Coin Is

The 1934 Doubled Die Obverse is one of the earliest recognized doubled die varieties in the Washington quarter series, occurring in the second year of the design's production. It resulted from a working die receiving two slightly misaligned hub impressions.

Obverse Design

John Flanagan's portrait of George Washington faces left, based on a Jean-Antoine Houdon bust. "LIBERTY" arches above his head, "IN GOD WE TRUST" sits just behind his neck, and the date appears below the bust at the bottom rim.

Where the Doubling Appears

Doubling on this variety is generally identified in the date and lettering, visible under magnification as a secondary, slightly offset outline along the edges of the affected characters rather than a uniformly blurry look across the whole coin.

Reverse Design

An eagle with wings spread perches on a bundle of arrows, with two olive branches curving beneath it. "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arches around the top, "QUARTER DOLLAR" runs along the bottom, and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" sits in a small ribbon just above the eagle.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

Silver-era Washington quarters (1932-1964) are struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weigh 6.25 grams, measure 24.3 mm in diameter, and have a reeded edge, the same specifications used throughout the Barber and Standing Liberty series before it.

Mint Mark Location

On coins from this era, the mint mark sits on the reverse, centered just below the wreath and above "QUARTER DOLLAR." No letter indicates Philadelphia; "D" indicates Denver and "S" indicates San Francisco. This variety is known on the Philadelphia strike, so a genuine example should carry no mint mark on the reverse.

Telling It Apart from Similar Coins

The 1934 date also has recognized "Medium Motto" and "Heavy Motto" letter-style varieties unrelated to doubling, based on the thickness of the lettering in "IN GOD WE TRUST." These should not be confused with the doubled die variety, which specifically shows a split or doubled outline on close inspection rather than simply thicker letters.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Wear first appears on Washington's hair curls just above and behind the ear, and on the eagle's breast and the tops of its leg feathers on the reverse. Sharp, separated hair strands and a fully feathered breast point to higher grades, while smoothed hair and a flat-looking eagle breast indicate more circulation.

Authenticity Notes

Because several distinct 1934 varieties exist, confirming which one a coin represents requires comparing it carefully to reference images for each: motto thickness for the Medium/Heavy Motto varieties, and a genuine split, rounded second image for the doubled die.