1938 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

A strong doubled eyelid south of the primary eyelid provides the commanding diagnostic for WDDO-003 on the 1938 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent, mirroring the eyelid doubling mechanism seen on other Lincoln cent doubled dies where Victor David Brenner's detailed portrait captures hub displacement with remarkable clarity. Philadelphia struck 156,682,000 cents in 1938, the final pre-war year before World War II would dramatically reshape Mint operations and metal compositions. Obverse die markers extend beyond the doubling: a die scratch runs east from the upper right of the E in WE, and a light east-west die crack traverses the hair below WE — the crack suggesting this die had begun developing structural fatigue. Reverse markers include NW/SE die scratches running between the N and I in UNITED, confirming the specific reverse die paired with this obverse. Triple-referenced as CONECA 2-O-IV, Coppercoins 1938P-1DO-003, and Wexler Variety ID 1938 1c WDDO-003, the convergence of three attribution systems on this single variety confirms its recognition across the major doubled die cataloging frameworks. The Wexler Team's attribution places WDDO-003 within the broader 1938 Philadelphia cent variety catalog, where the eyelid doubling diagnostic makes it one of the more identifiable entries.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA: 2-O-IV, Coppercoins: 1938P-1DO-003
• CONECA: 2-O-IV, Coppercoins: 1938P-1DO-003; Wexler Variety ID: 1938 1¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References