1937 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team, this fifth cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1937 Lincoln Wheat Cent shows a doubled eyelid north of Lincoln's primary eyelid — one of the most diagnostically useful features on Lincoln Cent doubled dies because the eye area provides fine detail that amplifies even subtle hub doubling. Obverse die markers include several die scratches running from the beard south-southeast toward the digit 1 in the date, plus an east-to-west die scratch in the hair below the E in WE. On the reverse, a die scratch runs southwest from the bottom of the right leg of the A in STATES. No alternative cross-references are known, making the Wexler designation WDDO-005 the sole attribution for this variety. The 1937 date was struck during the Depression Era at Philadelphia, where Lincoln Wheat Cents were produced in large quantities despite the economic downturn — over 309 million cents were struck that year. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, first used in 1909, features the detailed profile that makes eyelid doubling one of the most sought-after diagnostics among Lincoln Cent variety specialists. The combination of obverse and reverse die markers documented by the Wexler Team provides a comprehensive fingerprint for identifying this specific die pair.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 1¢ WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References