Mastering the Hunt: Advanced Cherrypicking Techniques for Rare Coin Finds Like the 1937 Washington Quarter DDO (FS-101)

Want to find that elusive 1937 Washington Quarter DDO (FS-101)? Forget luck. Real success in cherrypicking rare coins like this comes from precision, patience, and a few clever tricks most collectors skip. While others grab the flashy coins, the sharpest hunters know: the best finds are often the ones *no one* else sees. Whether you’re grading professionally, buying for inventory, or building a killer personal set, these advanced techniques will sharpen your edge—and your results.

1. The Psychology of the Second Pass: Why Timing Is Everything

Most collectors walk through a show once. They scan fast, grab what jumps out, and move on. That’s why they miss the good stuff—like the 1937 DDO hiding in plain sight.

The pros do a **second pass**. Not just a repeat walk. A *different* kind of search.

How to Execute a Tactical Second Pass

• Arrive early, leave late. Use the first hour to case the room. Note which tables have deep bins, which dealers look busy, and where the crowds gather. Come back mid-afternoon when dealers are tired, relaxed, and more willing to chat—or distracted enough to overlook your scrutiny.
• Save the ‘junk’ bins for later. Those “mixed silver” or “random quarters” piles? They’re not junk—they’re smoke screens. Dealers use them to hide coins that don’t fit their main inventory. Hit them on your second pass, when your eyes are tuned to subtle details, not shiny surfaces.
• Divide and conquer. Split each table into four zones. First pass: quick scan for mint marks, dates, or standout toning. Second pass: go back with your 30x loupe and a flashlight—*only* to those zones that passed the first filter.

“I walked past that bin three times. On the fourth, I held the quarter under a low-angle LED and—there it was. The doubling on ‘IGWT’ jumped out like it had been hiding. That’s the 1937 DDO, MS62, bought for face value.”

Pro move: Try reverse-scanning. Instead of reading the coin from left to right, start at the edge and work inward. It breaks your brain’s habit of skipping details—and makes you notice that faint doubling on the “T” in “TRUST” you’d otherwise miss.

2. Light, Angle, and Magnification: The Triad of Visual Authentication

Doubled dies like the FS-101 aren’t always obvious. Magnification alone won’t cut it. It’s about **how** you light the coin.

The “IN GOD WE TRUST” text on the 1937 DDO shows doubling—but only when the light hits it just right. Most people hold the coin flat under overhead lights. That washes out the shadows. You need **angled light** and a steady hand.

Advanced Lighting Setup for Field Detection

• Use a **low-intensity LED flashlight (5000K is ideal)**. Hold it at a 15–30 degree angle to the surface. Too steep? Glare. Too flat? No depth.
• Place a **black velvet cloth or matte card** behind the coin. Eliminates background glare and makes shadow details pop.
• Slowly rotate the coin while keeping the light still. Watch for shadows that shift or double. That’s die doubling—not post-mint damage.

For serious work, get a **digital microscope with polarized filters** (like the Dino-Lite Edge). It lets you capture 3D surface detail—perfect for proving doubling to graders or documenting a find before you submit to PCGS.

Magnification Hierarchy

• 5x–7x: Quick check. Is there obvious doubling? Any weird shifts in letters or numbers?

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• 20x–30x: Your go-to. Use this to confirm die clashes, cracks, or subtle doubling—like the “double bar 5” in the 1956 quarter.
• 50x+ (digital): For the nitty-gritty. Die polish lines, rehubbing marks—these details matter for PCGS TrueView submissions.

3. Portfolio Recursion: Cherrypicking Your Own Collection

Here’s a secret: the next big find might already be in your safe.

One collector found a 1939-S DDO MS65—in his own Dansco album. He’d owned it for 15 years. Why? Because he never rechecked it with modern tools and better knowledge.

How to Recursively Audit Your Holdings

1. Open old slabs. Use a PCGS slab opener to pull coins graded “straight” (like a plain MS63). Many early slabs missed variety attributions—especially on quarters.
2. Compare with updated databases. Pull high-res images from fs-101.com and varietyvista.com. Line them up with your coin.
3. Focus on key dates. The 1937, 1942, 1971, and 1983 Washington quarters are known for DDO/DDR varieties. Prioritize those.
4. Log everything. Use Airtable or even a spreadsheet to track suspects. Note where you found it, how you spotted doubling, and what tools you used.

Real case: An 1845 Seated Dime sat in a collection for years. Everyone thought it was a die crack. Only after cross-referencing die states on www.dievarieties.org did the true FS-108 RPD reveal itself.

4. Submission Optimization: The Gold Shield Advantage

You found a potential FS-101. Now what? How you submit it can make the difference between a $200 coin and a $2,000 coin.

The PCGS Gold Shield isn’t just about grading. It’s about visibility, trust, and market value.

Submission Tactics for High-Value Varieties

• Always get TrueView. That 360-degree image? Buyers on Heritage or GreatCollections love it. It proves authenticity and boosts bids.
• Use the “VARIETY” label. When you submit, PCGS lets you note the variety—like “1937 25C DDO FS-101”. That simple tag can add 20–50% to the final price at auction.
• Batch smart. Send the 1937 DDO with other high-potential coins—like a 1956 “double bar 5” or an 1896-S Barber. Same return time, lower per-coin cost.

Pro tip: Include **pre-submission photos** with your notes. Show the loupe, the lighting angle, a ruler for scale. It helps graders verify your claim faster—and cuts down on delays.

5. Behavioral Tactics: Exploiting Market Blind Spots

The 1937 DDO was overlooked for decades. Why? Because most people hunt for **mint state** or **bullion value**. They ignore the subtle stuff.

That’s your advantage.

How to Leverage Dealer Inattention

• Hit the “old-man markets”. Coin club auctions, estate sales, inherited collections—these often list coins by date only. No mention of varieties. That’s where you find the sleepers.
• Embrace “damage”. Coins with die clashes or laminations? Most people pass. But those flaws mean the die was active—and more likely to produce rare states like DDOs.
• Start low in auctions. Bid $3–$5 on a “raw 1937-S quarter”. If no one reacts, you win. If they do, you’ve just sparked a bidding war on a coin they didn’t know was special.

“The listing said ‘raw 23-S, possible damage’. I saw doubling on ‘WE’. Won it for $4. Two months later, PCGS MS63+ with TrueView. That’s the power of reading between the lines.”

6. The Long Game: Building a Predictive Model for Rarity

The best collectors don’t just find coins. They **predict** where to find them.

Start a simple tracking sheet. After a few months, you’ll see patterns.

Build a Cherrypick Predictor

Track these for every coin you check:

• Where you found it (show, online, auction)
• Date and mintmark (especially 1937, 1942, 1956, 1971)
• Type of variety (DDO, DDR, RPD, repunched mintmark)
• Grade and price paid
• What grading said

After 6–12 months, you’ll spot trends. Like: “Raw 1937 quarters in bulk lots are 3x more likely to be DDOs than pre-sorted inventory.” That’s not luck. That’s data.

Conclusion: The Advanced Collector’s Mindset

Cherrypicking isn’t about being faster. It’s about being **smarter, sharper, and more patient**.

• Do a second pass—with a different mindset.
• Use angled light and precise magnification to spot what others miss.
• Audit your own collection—your next big find might already be yours.
• Submit with TrueView and Gold Shield to maximize value.
• Target the places and coins others ignore.
• Build a personal rarity tracker—turn observation into advantage.

The 1937 Washington Quarter DDO (FS-101) isn’t just a rare coin. It’s proof that real value lives in the details. With these techniques, you’re not just collecting coins. You’re mastering the hunt—one sharp-eyed, well-timed find at a time.

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