D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarter

2009 Puerto Rico Quarter Doubled Dies, Errors, and Varieties

The 2009 Puerto Rico quarter was the second release in the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program. Its reverse shows a historic sentry box overlooking the sea with a hibiscus and the inscription ISLA DEL ENCANTO (“Isle of Enchantment”).

The U.S. Mint identifies Joseph Menna as the reverse designer and sculptor. Circulation coins were struck at Philadelphia and Denver, with San Francisco proof issues. Standard clad quarters weigh 5.670 grams, measure 24.26 mm, and have a reeded edge.

Puerto Rico does not need invented marketplace “errors” to make an interesting guide. Wexler’s doubled-die files document multiple genuine dies with specific diagnostics.

Varieties

2009-P WDDO-001

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

Confirm a P mintmark and inspect Washington’s ear. Wexler describes WDDO-001 as showing a partial extra earlobe just under Washington’s ear.

For attribution, use the die markers as a second check. Wexler records two small obverse die gouges left of the upper A in DOLLAR and another northeast of the top of the R in QUARTER. Reverse markers include small gouges around RICO and above the S in ISLA.

2009-P WDDO-002

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

This is a separate Philadelphia obverse doubled die that also shows a partial extra earlobe under Washington’s ear. The shared pickup point makes the die markers important.

Wexler records an obverse gouge between the lower S and T of STATES, a die dent near the top of TE in STATES, and a small gouge left of the bottom of the G in GOD. Reverse markers include gouges around PUERTO RICO and near the L in DEL.

2009-P WDDO-003

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

Again, the primary doubled-die diagnostic is a partial extra earlobe below Washington’s ear, but this is a third die.

Wexler’s markers include an obverse die crack across the front tip of the bust and a gouge near the bust above the T in QUARTER. Reverse markers include a gouge near the cloud below the P in PUERTO and multiple gouges between the D in DEL and C in ENCANTO.

2009-P Satin Finish reverse doubled dies

Wexler also catalogs a group of Satin Finish Philadelphia reverse doubled dies. These should not be presented as ordinary circulation-strike finds.

WDDR-001 through WDDR-004

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

For WDDR-001, WDDR-002, WDDR-003, and WDDR-004, Wexler identifies doubling on the underside of the cloud just to the right of the turret. Individual die markers distinguish the dies.

WDDR-005

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

Wexler places the doubling on the upper-right side of the turret below the cloud immediately to its right.

WDDR-006

Do You Have One? What To Look For:

Wexler identifies doubling on the water line to the right of the turret.

Because these are Satin Finish pieces, first establish the coin’s manufacture before attempting a WDDR attribution.

Errors versus varieties

A doubled die repeats on coins struck from the same affected die. That differs from an individual mint error such as an off-center strike, clipped planchet, wrong planchet, missing clad layer, brockage, multiple strike, or struck-through material.

Die chips and cracks can be genuine Mint-made die-state features without being one of the Wexler doubled dies above. Weak detail in the sentry-box window, sea lines, flower, or lettering is not automatically an error. Compare with a normal coin under the same lighting before making an attribution.

How to examine a 2009 Puerto Rico quarter

Confirm the 2009 date and mintmark.
On Philadelphia circulation strikes, inspect Washington’s earlobe first.
If an extra-earlobe feature is present, use the published die markers to distinguish WDDO-001, WDDO-002, and WDDO-003.
For a Satin Finish Philadelphia coin, inspect the cloud, turret, and water line for the documented WDDR pickup points.
Use 5×–10× magnification with diffuse light.
Require raised, repeatable die detail rather than glare, a scratch, or flat machine doubling.
Photograph both faces and the diagnostic area before considering certification.
Do not clean the coin.

Diagnostic artwork standard

CoinHunt’s locator image should show the whole coin and connect to a magnified diagnostic panel. For the circulation WDDOs, the first enlargement belongs at Washington’s earlobe; separate die-marker callouts should distinguish the three dies. Satin Finish WDDR artwork should point to the documented cloud/turret/water-line areas. No diagnostic feature should be drawn from guesswork.

Sources

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