1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-010

Description

Spread toward the center — a hallmark of Class IV offset hub doubling — manifests on the date, the designer's initials AW, and IN GOD WE TRUST on this 1936 Philadelphia Mint Mercury Dime. Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 1936 10-cent WDDO-010, the die exhibits three obverse markers: a small die gouge just to the left of the R in TRUST, another southwest of the bottom of the Y in LIBERTY, and a third on the upper chin. No significant reverse die markers were noted. Adolph Weinman's Mercury Dime design — more properly the Winged Liberty Head — ran from 1916 through 1945 and is considered one of the most artistically accomplished U.S. coin designs of the twentieth century. The 1936 Philadelphia issue, with a mintage exceeding 87 million pieces, belongs to the Depression Era when mintages were climbing back from the historic lows of the early 1930s. Ten documented doubled die obverses for the 1936 date indicates sustained research attention to this issue. Center-directed spread on the date digits and motto text is characteristic of Class IV doubling, where the hub is offset between impressions in a direction that pushes design elements inward toward the coin's center rather than outward toward the rim.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Thomas McGowan Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 10¢ WDDO-010
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References