1937 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-011

Description

Catalogued in the Wexler Doubled Die Files as 1937 1c WDDO-011, this Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die obverse is identified by an extra eyelid visible south of the normal eyelid — a precise and diagnostically useful feature for this variety. The obverse die carries multiple scratch markers: parallel die scratches run south-southwest to north-northeast to the left of the lower back of the head; a die scratch extends southeast from the intersection of the top of the forehead and the front curl of hair; and a die scratch runs south-southwest to north-northeast to the right of the lower chin. The reverse displays a die gouge above the E in ONE, and a long, nearly vertical die gouge — likely from a feeder finger — sits to the right of the upper E in ONE. The 1937 Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at Philadelphia without a mintmark. Victor David Brenner's portrait of Abraham Lincoln, introduced in 1909, remained unchanged throughout the Wheat cent era (1909-1958). The extra eyelid is a form of mechanical doubling that occurs when the hub makes multiple impressions on the die with slight vertical displacement, creating a shadow below the original element.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 1¢ WDDO-011

External References