1942 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Struck in the shadow of America's entry into World War II, the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent WDDO-006 — Wexler Variety ID 1942 1¢ WDDO-006 — captures a doubled die obverse created during Philadelphia's wartime production campaign. The 657,796,000 cents produced that year represented a significant quantity, though it fell well short of the record 887 million struck just the year before, as wartime priorities began reshaping Mint operations. Doubled die obverse varieties from 1942 share the characteristic bronze composition that would disappear from the series entirely the following year when zinc-coated steel replaced copper. The hub doubling that created WDDO-006 occurred during die manufacture — not during the coin striking process — a distinction important for understanding that every coin produced from this particular die carries the same doubling pattern. Attribution requires matching the specimen's doubling signature against published diagnostics, as subtle differences in the location and direction of displacement separate each WDDO number from its neighbors.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDO-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References