1942 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Third doubled die reverse attributed by the Wexler Team for the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety carries the designation 1942 1c WDDR-003 with no other known cross-references. Multiple DDRs on the 1942 date reflect the massive production demands of America's first full year of World War II, when the Philadelphia Mint operated at peak capacity to produce circulating coinage for a rapidly expanding wartime economy. The 1942 cent was struck in standard bronze alloy — 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc — the final year of this traditional composition before the emergency switch to zinc-coated steel in 1943. Doubled die reverses form when successive hub impressions during die manufacture fail to align precisely, leaving overlapping design elements embedded in the working die that then reproduce identically on every coin struck. Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse, with its two gracefully curved stalks, fine lettering, and the E PLURIBUS UNUM motto flanked by separator dots, provided abundant fine detail where hub misalignment could produce detectable doubling. Three documented DDRs for 1942, combined with the historically significant wartime context of this date, makes the year an important one for Lincoln Cent variety collectors seeking pre-steel-cent die varieties from the early war period.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References