1936 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-009

Description

Carrying a very close spread towards the center on the date, this Wexler Team attribution documents the 1936 Lincoln Wheat Cent WDDO-009 — a centripetal doubled die obverse where the secondary hub impression displaced date numerals inward. The very close intensity requires careful magnification, as the secondary image sits nearly atop the primary, producing subtle broadening rather than clearly separated contours. Two distinctive die markers strengthen the attribution: on the obverse, a die crack runs above the designer's initials VDB (Victor David Brenner) at the base of Lincoln's shoulder; on the reverse, a die gouge appears as a raised dot to the left of the C in CENT. The obverse die crack above VDB is particularly useful as a quick screening tool before investing time in the close examination needed to resolve the date doubling. This Philadelphia Mint issue was struck in bronze — 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc — at 3.11 grams. Examine the date numerals under 10x magnification for centripetal spread, then verify the die crack above VDB and the dot left of C in CENT.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-009

External References