1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-022

Description

Clockwise rotational hub doubling from a pivot at approximately 6:00 defines WDDO-022 on the 1936 Philadelphia Lincoln wheat cent, with the spread visible on IN GOD WE TRUST. The pivot location at 6:00 — the bottom center of the die — means design elements in the upper portion of the obverse experience the greatest angular displacement, placing IGWT in the zone of maximum doubling effect. Die pitting on the cheek to the right of Lincoln's lower ear provides the key obverse die marker — surface degradation on the die face that transfers as shallow depressions or roughened texture on the coin, indicating the die experienced some form of corrosion or deterioration during its service life. No notable reverse die markers were recorded. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1c WDDO-022, with no other known cross-references. Philadelphia struck approximately 309.6 million wheat cents in 1936, an output that continued the Depression-era recovery trend in coinage demand. The high WDDO number of 022 reflects the intensive examination of 1936 wheat cents by the variety collecting community, which has identified over twenty distinct obverse doubled dies for this single date. The CW rotation from a 6:00 pivot should produce clockwise displacement on IGWT — the letters on the left side (IN, GOD) sweep slightly to the right, and the letters on the right side (TRUST) sweep slightly to the left, with WE near the top experiencing the greatest net displacement as the most distant point from the pivot center.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank C. Bruske Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-022
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References