1937 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-009

Description

A pre-war Lincoln Wheat Cent variety, the 1937 WDDO-009 exhibits a very close clockwise spread from a pivot point at approximately the three o'clock position, producing visible doubling below the LI in LIBERTY. Attributed by the Wexler Team, this doubled die obverse belongs to the Philadelphia Mint issue and demonstrates how rotational hub misalignment around an off-center pivot creates doubling that varies in intensity across the die face, strongest at points farthest from the pivot. Obverse die markers include east-to-west die scratches inside the lower ear and additional east-to-west die scratches in the hair behind the left upper area of the ear. On the reverse, a faded die scratch runs northeast from the lower inside of the E in ONE. These die markers on both sides of the coin provide collectors with reliable authentication points for confirming the specific die pair. Lincoln Wheat Cents from the late 1930s were struck in enormous quantities as the economy recovered from the Great Depression, and doubled die varieties from this era reward patient roll searching with pre-war specimens that combine historical significance with documented die anomalies.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 1¢ WDDO-009

External References