1944-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Fourth in the 1944-S DDO catalog and carrying cross-reference Wexler Variety ID: 1944-S 1¢ WDDO-004, this doubled die obverse holds a prominent position among the eighteen-plus varieties documented by the Wexler Team for the San Francisco wartime Wheat cent. The low sequential number — fourth out of eighteen or more — strongly suggests that WDDO-004 exhibits relatively clear, identifiable doubling on significant obverse design elements, making it one of the more readily attributable varieties for the date-mint. Early-numbered DDO varieties typically capture the most visually apparent discoveries: the ones that first attracted researcher attention and prompted the systematic examination that eventually uncovered the higher-numbered, subtler varieties. The 1944-S shell-case brass cent was struck from recycled military ammunition cartridge brass, a wartime expedient mandated by Congress to conserve copper for the war effort. San Francisco's production of over 282 million cents on this alternative composition represents one of the largest wartime alloy runs at the facility. With WDDO-004 positioned early in the sequence, collectors have a reasonable expectation of identifying this variety with standard magnification — a 10x loupe revealing doubled design elements whose spread direction and affected letters or digits match the Wexler reference entry. The early position also makes WDDO-004 a logical starting point for collectors beginning to assemble the comprehensive 1944-S DDO set.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1944-S 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References