1945 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-027

Description

Cataloged as Wexler WDDO-027, this 1945 Lincoln Wheat Cent displays a subtle but distinctive doubled die obverse characterized by two small extra eyelids visible below the normal eyelid on Lincoln's portrait. Extra eyelid doubling is a well-known diagnostic on Lincoln Cent DDOs, where the secondary hub impression shifts the delicate eyelid detail enough to create a visible doubled line beneath the primary one. Obverse die markers include a die gouge southwest of the G in GOD, a die dent above the E in WE, and a die clash impression running north-northeast from the bowtie area. On the reverse, a die gouge runs northwest-to-southeast between the U and N in UNITED. The directional die markers, particularly the southwest gouge near GOD and the north-northeast clash from the bowtie, provide a comprehensive identification map for this variety across various grades. The 1945 Philadelphia issue had an enormous wartime mintage exceeding one billion cents, making individual die varieties like WDDO-027 genuinely scarce relative to the vast surviving population. The extra eyelid feature requires careful examination under magnification but is a reliable and repeatable diagnostic once located.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-027

External References