1941 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

First doubled die reverse cataloged for the 1941 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety was attributed by the Wexler Team with the designation 1941 1c WDDR-001. The 1941 date occupies a pivotal moment in American history — struck in the year the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th. Philadelphia Mint production of Lincoln Cents in 1941 was substantial, as the economy was already transitioning to wartime footing with defense spending accelerating throughout the year. Doubled die reverses form during the die manufacturing process when successive hub impressions fail to register precisely, embedding overlapping design elements into the working die that then reproduce on every coin struck. Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse — featuring two gracefully curved stalks of durum wheat, the denomination ONE CENT, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM separated by three dots, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — had been in continuous production since 1909 and provided abundant fine detail where hub misalignment could manifest. As the primary DDR for the 1941 date, WDDR-001 establishes the baseline reverse hub variety for collectors building comprehensive die variety sets of pre-war Lincoln Wheat Cents. The entry of America into the war would soon transform Mint operations, leading to composition changes in 1943 and altered production priorities.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1941 1¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References