1945 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-016

Description

Within the Wexler catalog, 1945 1¢ WDDO-016 marks a doubled die obverse from one of the most prolific cent-production years in United States history. Philadelphia contributed over 1.04 billion Lincoln Wheat cents in 1945, and when combined with Denver and San Francisco output, the total approaches 1.6 billion — reflecting wartime industrial might channeled through the coining presses. These cents were struck on shell-case brass planchets, an alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc derived from recycled military cartridge casings as the Mint conserved strategic metals. The doubling preserved in WDDO-016 represents a moment of mechanical imprecision during the hubbing process — an anomaly that gives variety collectors tangible evidence of how coins were manufactured. Brenner's portrait of Abraham Lincoln, first introduced in 1909, had by 1945 become deeply familiar to the public. Examining this variety under magnification reveals secondary impressions on specific design elements, the precise location and character of which distinguish it from other documented WDDO varieties on the date. Attribution requires careful comparison against published reference images.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-016
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References