1945 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-021

Description

Carrying the attribution Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-021, this doubled die obverse belongs to the substantial family of hub doubling varieties on the 1945 Philadelphia cent. That the catalog reaches WDDO-021 and beyond underscores how extensively researchers have studied this issue — a natural consequence of the 1,040,515,000-piece mintage that scattered these cents across the country. The shell-case brass alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc, from recycled wartime ammunition casings, gave the 1945 cent its distinctive material heritage. Die variety collecting at this level requires not only magnification equipment but also knowledge of the eight classes of hub doubling. Distinguishing genuine hub doubling from machine doubling — a valueless form of strike doubling caused by die bounce — is the most essential skill a cherrypicker must develop. On legitimate hub doublings, the secondary image appears as a raised shelf with full detail, whereas machine doubling produces flat, shelf-less displacement. As WWII ended, Brenner's Lincoln portrait had been gazing rightward on cents for 36 years, and each documented variety adds another facet to that iconic design's production history.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-021

External References