1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-030

Description

Closing this batch at the far end of the documented spectrum, Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-030 marks one of the highest-numbered doubled die obverse entries in the 1946 Philadelphia variety census. Thirty or more distinct DDO varieties for a single date and mint is an extraordinary achievement — a figure few other Lincoln cent dates can match. Each entry represents a unique working die that received its hub impression with a specific misalignment, producing a secondary image transferred to every cent struck before retirement. The 1946 cent, composed of shell-case brass at 95% copper and 5% zinc from recycled cartridge cases, carried the wartime alloy that replaced standard bronze in 1944. Philadelphia's mintage of 991,655,000 ensured massive die consumption and a large pool of potential doubled dies. As a high-numbered variety, WDDO-030 likely represents a recently documented addition, discovered as collectors searched unsorted accumulations years after the coins were struck. This ongoing potential for discovery is one of the most appealing aspects of die variety collecting: the census is never closed, and the next find might await in the next roll examined.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-030
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References