1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-023

Description

Twenty-third in the Wexler-cataloged obverse doubled die sequence for the 1936 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-023 presents an extra eyelid visible just below Lincoln's normal eyelid — the signature doubled eyelid diagnostic that appears on numerous hub-doubled Lincoln cent obverse dies. Victor David Brenner's carefully modeled portrait renders Lincoln's facial features in sufficient relief that even fractional hub displacement between impressions creates detectable doubling at the eyelid, where the curved contour line provides an especially sensitive diagnostic surface. Philadelphia struck approximately 309.64 million cents in 1936, a Depression-era production run that marked a return to higher mintages as the economy gradually recovered. The obverse die markers include a short die scratch running south from the underside of Lincoln's nose, while the reverse carries numerous light die scratches running east-northeast from inside the E of ONE — both providing secondary diagnostics for confirming the correct working die independent of the eyelid doubling. The Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-023 serves as the formal catalog reference, with no additional cross-references from CONECA or other attribution systems currently known. The high census number — twenty-third documented DDO for this single date — reflects both the large number of working dies consumed during the 1936 production run and the sustained scrutiny applied to wheat cents by the variety collecting community. Collectors should examine Lincoln's eye area under 10-15x magnification, looking for a secondary eyelid contour below the primary, and confirm the die by locating the scratch below the nose on the obverse and the scratches near the E of ONE on the reverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Edward Fletcher Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-023
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References