1937 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008

Description

The 1937 WDDO-008 Lincoln Wheat cent features a distinctive doubled eyelid showing south of the primary eyelid on Lincoln's portrait, a subtle yet visually intriguing variety cataloged by the Wexler Team. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the Great Depression in 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter, this coin belongs to the Lincoln Wheat Cents 1909-1958 series. The doubled eyelid is a particularly interesting manifestation of hub doubling because it creates a visible anatomical anomaly on the president's portrait rather than affecting lettering or numerals. Obverse die markers for authentication include a die gouge on the upper right-hand side of the 7 in the date, a long die scratch running south from the beard to the vest just left of the 1 in the date, and heavy die gouges in the hair below WE. The reverse shows a die scratch running through the left dot connecting the E and P in E PLURIBUS UNUM. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1937 1c WDDO-008 with no other known cross-references, this variety was discovered on a date with a Philadelphia mintage of over 309 million pieces. Despite the high mintage, doubled die varieties represent a tiny fraction of total production, making them genuine numismatic discoveries. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, with its fine detail in the hair, ear, and facial features, provides numerous areas where hub doubling can manifest in distinctive ways.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 1¢ WDDO-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References