1945 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Fourth documented doubled die obverse for the 1945 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-004 was attributed by the Wexler Team as 1945 1¢ WDDO-004 with no additional CONECA or Fivaz-Stanton cross-references. The 1945 Philadelphia cent carries the distinction of being the final wartime composition issue, struck on recycled brass shell-case alloy planchets (95% copper, 5% zinc) before the Mint transitioned back to the standard pre-war bronze composition in 1946. Philadelphia produced 1.04 billion cents that year, a staggering output driven by the wartime economy's voracious demand for circulating coinage. Such massive production required hundreds of die pairs working simultaneously across multiple presses, and the resulting volume of working dies created ample opportunity for hub misalignment events. The existence of at least four DDO varieties for the 1945 date confirms that doubling occurred across multiple obverse dies during the year's production run. Shell-case alloy cents from 1944-1945 have a subtly different luster and color compared to pre-war bronze cents, and experienced collectors can often identify the composition by the slightly more golden tone of well-preserved examples. Hub doubling on the obverse would affect Lincoln's portrait, the date, LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST, with the specific spread characteristics varying from one WDDO listing to another. Collectors who have already located WDDO-001, -002, and -003 for 1945 need this fourth variety to advance their coverage of the date, and each additional DDO found enriches the picture of wartime die production variability.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References