1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-016

Description

Submitted by Thomas McGowan and cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1936 10¢ WDDO-016, this Mercury Dime presents a spread toward the center visible on the date and the designer's initials — a convergent hub displacement where the secondary impression shifted inward relative to the primary, concentrating the visible doubling on the peripheral date area and the small W initials of Adolph A. Weinman located near the truncation of Liberty's neck. Obverse die markers include no significant features initially noted, though a secondary examination revealed a die gouge in the field well south of the Y in LIBERTY. Reverse markers include parallel die scratches running between the lower F of OF and the lower first A of AMERICA, a die scratch running SW/NE to the right of the S in PLURIBUS, and numerous other die scratches throughout the reverse — an extensively scratched reverse die surface likely resulting from repeated polishing during the die's service life. No additional cross-references beyond the Wexler designation are currently known. The Mercury Dime, actually depicting a Winged Liberty Head rather than the Roman god Mercury, was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1936 in 90% silver composition weighing 2.50 grams with a diameter of 17.9 mm. The 1936 Philadelphia mintage of approximately 87.5 million pieces was substantial for the Depression era. The center-directed spread on the date and designer's initials concentrates the most visible doubling in a compact zone near the base of Liberty's neck, where collectors can efficiently check both features under a single magnification positioning, making this variety accessible for field screening despite the generally small scale of dime design elements.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Thomas McGowan Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 10¢ WDDO-016
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References