1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-014

Description

Extra thickness and partial separation across the left wheat ear, stem, E PLURIBUS UNUM, both dots, and slightly on the right wheat ear, stem, and OF AMERICA characterizes WDDR-014 on the 1942 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent, a pre-war issue struck in the final year of standard bronze composition before the 1943 steel cent experiment. The breadth of affected design elements — spanning both wheat ears, the motto, the dots, and partial legend text — indicates a hub displacement that affected most of the reverse die surface simultaneously. No obverse die markers were noted, placing the attribution burden entirely on reverse examination. Reverse markers include a small die gouge dot northeast of the second dot in E PLURIBUS UNUM and a very short die gouge off the tip of the right wheat ear — two precise attribution points. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1942 1¢ WDDR-014 with no other known references, attributed by the Wexler Team. Philadelphia struck 657,796,000 cents in 1942, the last full year of normal cent production before wartime material shortages forced the transition to zinc-coated steel in 1943. The distinction between extra thickness and actual separation on the left wheat ear versus only slight doubling on the right side suggests the hub displacement had a directional component that created stronger doubling on one side of the reverse than the other.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDR-014

External References