1945-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team and cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1945-D 1¢ WDDO-006, this doubled die obverse on the 1945-D Lincoln Wheat cent emerged from the Denver Mint during the final year of World War II, when wartime production demands pushed coinage output to extraordinary levels. The 1945-D saw mintage exceeding 266 million cents, a volume that accelerated die turnover and increased the probability of hubbing irregularities slipping through quality controls. WDDO-006 exhibits obverse design element doubling created when the hub and working die were slightly misaligned during one of the multiple impressions required to fully sink the design. On Lincoln Wheat cents, obverse doubling is most readily detected on the lettering of LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date numerals, where straight lines and serifs reveal even minor displacement. The Denver Mint facility, operational since 1906, was running at wartime capacity in 1945 and had recently transitioned back to standard copper alloy planchets after the 1943 zinc-coated steel and 1944 shell-case copper experiments. Collectors should note that many 1945-D Wheat cents exhibit weak strikes and broad contact marks from high-speed production, so careful examination under magnification is necessary to distinguish true hub doubling from mechanical doubling or die deterioration.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945-D 1¢ WDDO-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References