1905 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Second in the Wexler-documented reverse doubled die census for the 1905 Indian Head cent, WDDR-002 exhibits Class II (Distorted Hub Doubling) spread towards the center on the leaves and veins of the left side wreath, with slight extension onto the upper right wreath. James B. Longacre's Indian Head cent reverse features a laurel wreath (replaced by an oak wreath with shield in 1860) that provides intricate botanical detail where hub distortion becomes detectable as shifted leaf contours and displaced vein lines. The Class II mechanism — where the hub itself distorts slightly rather than shifting position — produces a characteristic compression effect where design elements appear to spread inward toward the center of the die. Philadelphia was the sole production facility for Indian Head cents in 1905, striking approximately 80.72 million pieces. Obverse die markers show nothing notable, but the reverse carries a short die crack extending eastward from the lower right O in ONE — providing a secondary diagnostic for confirming the correct die. The Wexler Variety ID: 1905 1¢ WDDR-002 serves as the formal catalog reference, with no additional cross-references from CONECA or other attribution systems currently known. The left-side concentration of the doubling, with only slight extension to the upper right, indicates the hub distortion primarily affected one side of the die — consistent with uneven pressure application during the hubbing process. Collectors should examine the left-side wreath leaves and veins under 15-20x magnification, looking for the centripetal displacement characteristic of Class II doubling, while confirming the die crack east of the O in ONE for die identification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1905 1¢ WDDR-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References