1939 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Strong doubling on Lincoln's eyelid, with a secondary impression displaced southeast of the primary eyelid, makes this one of the more visually distinctive doubled die obverses for the 1939 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent. Cataloged by the Wexler Team as WDDO-002 (Wexler Variety ID: 1939 1¢ WDDO-002), the variety also shows doubling on the second 9 in the date, providing a secondary diagnostic that aids attribution. Obverse die markers include a die scratch running east-southeast from the right upper side of the U in TRUST connecting to the S, while the reverse displays east-west die scratches through PLURIBUS — strongest inside the first U. These markers are essential for confirming the attribution, since doubling characteristics alone might overlap with other known doubled dies for this date. The 1939 Philadelphia Mint struck over 316 million cents, an enormous run that consumed many die pairs and generated multiple doubled die varieties. Doubled eyelid varieties on Lincoln Cents are particularly popular because the feature is dramatic and often visible without magnification on well-preserved specimens. This variety carries no cross-references beyond the Wexler system.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1939 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References