1939-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1939-S 1¢ WDDO-001 and cross-referenced as Coppercoins 1939S-1DO-001, this Lincoln Wheat Cent features an extra eyelid visible below the normal eyelid on Lincoln's portrait — a distinctive doubled die diagnostic that concentrates the hub displacement effect on one of the finest-detail elements of the obverse design. The extra eyelid manifests because the eyelid's thin, precisely engraved line amplifies even minor hub misalignment into a clearly visible secondary impression, making this one of the more readily identifiable doubled die features on Wheat Cents. Obverse die markers include a short die scratch running east-northeast from the top of the bowtie, a short die scratch running north-northeast to the right of the beard, and another running north to the right of the lips — three localized scratches in the portrait area that fingerprint this specific obverse die. The reverse exhibits a die gouge (dot) above the right side of the T in CENT and a die crack running through the upper left wheat lines, documenting progressive deterioration in the reverse die that accompanied this obverse during its production run. The 1939-S Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait that has served continuously since 1909, while the wheat ears reverse design was used from 1909 through 1958. San Francisco Mint production in the late 1930s reflects pre-war coinage demand on the West Coast, and the doubled eyelid on this variety is best examined under 10x or higher magnification with angled lighting to distinguish the secondary eyelid line from the primary.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Eberhardt Cross References: Coppercoins: 1939S-1DO-001
• Coppercoins: 1939S-1DO-001; Wexler Variety ID: 1939-S 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References