1946-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Returning to the standard bronze alloy after three years of wartime composition changes, the 1946 Lincoln Wheat Cent marks a pivotal transition in the series. Denver struck 315,690,000 cents that year — the Mint's postwar production surge — using the traditional 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc formulation last seen in 1942. WDDO-001 is the first doubled die obverse cataloged for the 1946-D issue, signifying it was among the earliest varieties submitted or identified for this date. The shift from shell case brass back to bronze meant that die behavior changed as well; bronze has slightly different hardness and flow characteristics compared to the wartime alloy, and dies prepared for the new composition needed to account for these material differences. Hub doubling on this postwar issue appears in the same obverse diagnostic areas as all Lincoln Cents — LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, and details of Brenner's Lincoln portrait. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1946-D 1¢ WDDO-001.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References