1940-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Light extra thickness on the date and LIBERTY marks WDDO-004 as the fourth cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1940 San Francisco Lincoln Wheat Cent, a pre-war issue struck during the final full year of peace before America's entry into World War II. Obverse die markers provide precise attribution data: a die scratch runs north from the top right of Y in LIBERTY, and die scratches run NNW/SSE in the field to the right of Lincoln's nose and lips — directional scratching that helps distinguish this die from other 1940-S DDOs. Reverse markers are equally detailed: die scratches run SE from the N in UNUM past the T in CENT, and a die scratch runs SSE from the lower left of O in OF. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1940-S 1¢ WDDO-004 with no other known references, attributed by the Wexler Team. San Francisco struck 112,940,000 Lincoln Cents in 1940, a moderate output that generated a manageable number of die pairs for variety research. The light extra thickness on LIBERTY and the date — rather than more dramatic spread or separation — places WDDO-004 among the subtler doubled dies that require careful examination under magnification, making the multiple die scratch markers particularly valuable as initial screening diagnostics before confirming the doubling itself.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1940-S 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References