1942 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-014

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team and cross-referenced as CONECA 6-O-IV, Cherrypickers FS-01-1942-103 (018.9), and Coppercoins 1942P-1DO-008, this 1942 Lincoln Wheat cent carries a very strong Class V counterclockwise spread from a pivot near the rim at 6 o'clock, affecting the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST and Lincoln's eye. Very slight doubling also shows on the inside of the 9 in the date. The Class V pivoted doubling produces its maximum displacement on elements farthest from the 6 o'clock pivot point, making IGWT — positioned near the top of the coin at 12 o'clock — the area of strongest doubling, while the date near the bottom receives only minimal displacement due to its proximity to the rotation center. Obverse die markers include a diagonal die gouge on the neck northwest of the bowtie, while the reverse carries a die scratch from north-northwest to south-southeast between the upper N and the second U of UNUM. The triple cross-referencing across CONECA, Cherrypickers, and Coppercoins databases confirms this variety's significance within the Lincoln cent collecting community. The 1942 Lincoln Wheat cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 95% copper and 5% tin-and-zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Produced during the early months of World War II — the final year of the standard bronze composition before the 1943 steel cent experiment — the 1942 Philadelphia issue had a mintage of approximately 657.8 million pieces, yet the very strong doubling on IGWT and the eye makes WDDO-014 a cherrypicker's prize.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Darrel Neidigh Cross References: CONECA: 6-O-IV, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1942-103 (018.9), Coppercoins: 1942P-1DO-008
• CONECA: 6-O-IV, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1942-103 (018.9), Coppercoins: 1942P-1DO-008; Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDO-014
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References