1944-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-007

Description

Seventh in the catalog of San Francisco-struck 1944 Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die obverses, WDDO-007 records a hub misalignment that imprinted secondary design impressions onto the obverse working die during the multi-hubbing process. Wartime 1944-S cents were struck on shell-case brass planchets — a copper-zinc alloy substituted for the standard bronze composition because the U.S. Mint diverted tin supplies to the war effort between 1943 and 1946. The San Francisco Mint produced 282,760,000 Lincoln cents that year, and with such massive output the die shop consumed dozens of working dies, each requiring multiple hubbing impressions to fully transfer Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait. Any rotational or translational shift of the hub between successive impressions could generate a doubled die, and WDDO-007 represents one such event preserved in the working die and subsequently struck onto an unknown number of circulating cents. Cataloged by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1944-S 1c WDDO-007, attribution requires careful inspection of the date digits and IN GOD WE TRUST motto under at least 5x magnification, using angled lighting to separate the secondary image from the primary design elements. Collectors hunting Wheat Cent DDOs from the wartime era should note that shell-case brass surfaces can tone differently from pre-war bronze, sometimes obscuring fine doubling under heavy patina.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1944-S 1¢ WDDO-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References