1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-015

Description

Triple-referenced across major catalogs as CONECA 9-O-IV, Coppercoins 1936P-1DO-012, and Wexler WDDO-015, this 1936 Lincoln Wheat cent doubled die obverse features a distinctive extra eyelid showing below Lincoln's normal eyelid. This doubled eyelid is one of the more visually striking doubled die diagnostics in the Wheat cent series because it appears on the focal point of the portrait, making it detectable even on moderately circulated specimens. The obverse die carries strong lathe marks running parallel to the rim throughout the field, a manufacturing artifact from the die preparation process that serves as a secondary authentication feature. On the reverse, a die scratch runs below and nearly parallel to the right wheat stem, while additional die scratches extend southeast from the lower CA in AMERICA. The 1936 Philadelphia Wheat cent had a mintage of 309.637 million pieces. The CONECA classification as 9-O-IV places this under their Class IV (Offset Hub Doubling) category, though the visual presentation of the extra eyelid is what draws most collectors to this variety. Confirmation requires identifying the lathe marks on the obverse field and the CA die scratches on the reverse to separate WDDO-015 from other 1936 doubled die obverse varieties in the Wexler catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA: 9-O-IV, Coppercoins: 1936P-1DO-012
• CONECA: 9-O-IV, Coppercoins: 1936P-1DO-012; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-015
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References