1945 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID: 1945 1¢ WDDO-006, this doubled die obverse belongs to a date that witnessed the final months of the Second World War. Philadelphia struck over 1.04 billion Lincoln Wheat cents in 1945, each composed of recycled brass shell casings — a 95% copper, 5% zinc alloy introduced in 1944 after the emergency steel cent experiment of 1943. This wartime composition, derived from spent military cartridge brass, lent the planchets a subtly different character than the pre-war bronze containing tin. Hub doubling on this variety reflects the mechanical realities of mid-1940s die production, where the Mint pressed hubs into dies through multiple impressions. Any slight misalignment between those applications left a secondary image — the hallmark of a doubled die. With V-E Day arriving on May 8 and V-J Day on August 15, 1945 cents circulated through one of the most momentous transitions in American history. Collectors seeking this variety should examine design elements under magnification, paying close attention to lettering and date numerals for traces of separation or shelf-like doubling.

Attribution History

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

External References