1945 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-013

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1945-S 1-cent WDDO-013, this doubled die obverse on the Lincoln Wheat Cent combines hub doubling with a repunched mintmark on the same obverse die. The 1945-S cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint in the wartime "shell case" alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc, weighing 3.11 grams at 19.05 mm diameter; this tin-free wartime composition continued through 1946 before the return to the standard bronze alloy in 1947. The doubled die manifests as an extra eyelid below Lincoln's normal eyelid, a signature feature of Class I-III hub doubling on the Brenner portrait. This same obverse die also carries a repunched mintmark cataloged in the Wexler RPM Files as 1945-S 1-cent WRPM-036, classified as an S/S East — meaning the final S mintmark shows traces of an earlier S punch displaced to the east. Obverse die markers include numerous die scratches running in a north-to-south direction to the left of the back of Lincoln's head, and a distinctive die scratch running northward in front of Lincoln's lips that continues upward and ends above the eye. The reverse shows numerous die scratches running north to south across the entire surface, indicating significant die wear or polishing. The combination of a doubled die obverse and repunched mintmark on a single San Francisco die makes attributed specimens particularly desirable for collectors building late-date Wheat Cent variety sets.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945-S 1¢ WDDO-013

External References