1946 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1946 1¢ WDDO-001, this doubled die obverse variety was struck on a 1946 Lincoln Wheat cent at the Philadelphia Mint, which was still using the wartime alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc; bronze returned in 1947. The coin weighs 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter and a plain edge. As WDDO-001 — the first cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1946 Philadelphia date — this variety holds the distinction of being the primary DDO in the census for this issue. The primary diagnostic manifests as a minor extra eyelid found directly under the normal eyelid on Lincoln's portrait. While described as minor, the extra eyelid feature appears in one of the most diagnostically useful areas of the Lincoln cent obverse, where the sharp definition of the eyelid provides an unambiguous reference line against which doubling can be detected. This variety is documented across two die stages with different die pairings. Obverse Stage A features a die gouge protruding from the lower back of Lincoln's head, with a matching Reverse Stage A showing a die scratch running west from the top of the O in OF. Obverse Stage B shows the Stage A die gouge as very weak but still visible, confirming continued die deterioration, and a new Reverse Stage B was paired with the obverse — featuring a die scratch running east-northeast from the C to the top of the second A in AMERICA. The die re-pairing documented between stages indicates the original reverse die was replaced while the doubled die obverse continued in service, a common Mint practice that sometimes resulted in doubled die obverses being paired with multiple different reverse dies during their working life.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-001

External References