1937 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-007

Description

Seventh cataloged doubled die reverse for the 1937 Lincoln Wheat Cent, WDDR-007 was documented by the Wexler Team and displays an extremely close spread on the left wheat ear and wheat grains of Victor David Brenner's iconic reverse design. The notation "extremely close spread" indicates that the secondary hub impression is displaced only marginally from the primary impression, requiring careful examination under magnification to distinguish the doubled image from normal design thickness. On the wheat ear reverse, this type of subtle doubling often manifests as a slight thickening or shadowing of individual wheat grain lines and the stalk contours, best observed with a loupe at 10x or higher magnification. Obverse die markers include a long east-to-west die scratch running from the top of the E in WE to the first T in TRUST — a substantial scratch that provides reliable die identification. The reverse carries a crisscrossing die scratch pattern at the PLU in PLURIBUS, further confirming the specific die pair. No cross-references to other variety attribution systems are currently known, making the Wexler designation the primary reference. The 1937 Philadelphia Mint cent was produced in quantities exceeding 309 million coins, consuming numerous die pairs throughout the year's production run. The Wheat Cent reverse, in continuous use from 1909 through 1958, is one of the most heavily studied designs in American numismatics, and seven cataloged doubled die reverses for a single date reflects the extraordinary depth of variety research this beloved series has received over the decades.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 1¢ WDDR-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References