1934 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

Listed by the Wexler Team as 1934 1¢ WDDO-005, this Lincoln Wheat Cent displays an extra eyelid southeast of the main eyelid — a secondary impression of the eyelid displaced in the southeast direction, creating a doubled appearance on one of Lincoln's most finely engraved facial features. Obverse die markers include a small die gouge (dot) in the field southeast of Lincoln's bowtie, two die scratches running northwest to southeast in the field above and to the right of Lincoln's eye, and two die scratches running north-northwest to south-southeast in the field to the right of Lincoln's nose. Reverse markers include a die gouge (dot) in the field south of the O in ONE and another die gouge (dot) near the left wheat stem. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are currently known. The constellation of die scratches near Lincoln's eye and nose on the obverse clusters in the same facial area as the doubled eyelid variety itself, creating a concentration of diagnostic features that can all be examined within a small viewing area under magnification. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1934 during the Great Depression in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc at 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait pairs with the wheat ears reverse. The southeast eyelid displacement is consistent with a hub misalignment during die production where the secondary impression shifted downward and to the right, affecting the fine eyelid engraving most visibly while potentially producing subtler effects across other design elements less sensitive to small displacements.

Attribution History

• Discovered by James C. Moreland (Upgraded by Whaden Curtis) Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1934 1¢ WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References