1926 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1926 10¢ WDDO-002 and submitted by Thomas McGowan, this doubled die obverse variety was struck on a 1926 Mercury dime at the Philadelphia Mint. The Mercury dime, properly known as the Winged Liberty Head dime, was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and produced from 1916 through 1945 in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 2.5 grams with a 17.9 mm diameter and a reeded edge. Philadelphia struck 32,160,000 dimes in 1926, a moderate production figure for the mid-1920s series. Struck during the Roaring Twenties as America emerged as a global power following World War I, this coin represents an era of national prosperity and cultural dynamism. The doubling on WDDO-002 manifests as a clockwise spread from a pivot point at approximately 8 o'clock, visible on the letters ERTY of LIBERTY on Weinman's distinctive obverse featuring Liberty wearing a winged cap. Pivoted hub doubling creates a rotational displacement pattern where design elements farther from the pivot point show progressively greater separation between the primary and secondary impressions. Obverse die markers include a die crack running from Liberty's bonnet to the rim between the R and T in LIBERTY, confirming die fatigue during this die's service life. Additional obverse markers are two die scratches running west-northwest from the top of the E in LIBERTY to the rim. On the reverse, a die scratch runs southwest from the horizontal bar of the A in STATES. No cross-references to CONECA or other attribution services have been established. Mercury dime doubled die obverses are collected with particular enthusiasm because Weinman's intricate obverse design — with its detailed wing, hair, and cap elements — provides exceptional surfaces for detecting hub doubling, and the 1926 WDDO-002 adds a confirmed pivoted hub variety to the relatively small census of doubled die obverses for this date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Thomas McGowan Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1926 10¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References