1940-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008

Description

Eighth Wexler-documented obverse doubled die for the 1940-D Mercury dime, WDDO-008 exhibits a Class II (Distorted Hub) spread towards the center on the date, the designer's initials AW (Adolph A. Weinman), and slightly on IN GOD WE TRUST. The centerward direction of the spread — indicating the secondary hub impression shifted inward relative to the primary — is characteristic of Class II doubling where hub distortion creates uneven displacement that intensifies away from the distortion axis. Obverse die markers include a light die scratch running north-northeast from the right side of the horizontal crossbar of the 4 in the date, providing a specific diagnostic for identifying this working die independent of the doubling itself. The reverse carries no noted markers. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1940-D 10c WDDO-008, with no other attribution system listings currently known. Denver struck approximately 21.2 million Mercury dimes in 1940, a moderate Depression-era mintage. Weinman's Mercury dime obverse places the date at the lower right and the designer's initials AW at the base of Liberty's neck, and the Class II spread's effect on both of these peripheral elements plus the slight involvement of IN GOD WE TRUST indicates the hub distortion's influence extended across a broad arc of the obverse die face. The die scratch from the 4's crossbar serves as the primary die identification starting point — collectors should locate this scratch first under 10-15x magnification to confirm the correct die, then examine the date digits for centerward spread where the secondary impression shifts the doubled image slightly toward the center of the coin. The slight involvement of IN GOD WE TRUST suggests the spread diminishes as it approaches the motto, consistent with the distance-dependent intensity pattern characteristic of Class II distorted hub doubling.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1940-D 10¢ WDDO-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References