1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-015

Description

Recorded in the Wexler files as 1946 1¢ WDDO-015, this doubled die obverse belongs to a date whose variety census has grown into one of the most comprehensive in Lincoln cent numismatics. The 1946 Philadelphia cent, struck from shell-case brass at 95% copper and 5% zinc, emerged from an infrastructure still winding down from wartime production levels. Nearly a billion cents left the presses, each carrying Brenner's Lincoln portrait and the wheat-stalk reverse. The hubbing process that created WDDO-015's characteristic doubling is a cornerstone of die variety study: understanding how a hardened hub transfers design to a softer die through multiple applications, and how minute displacements create distinct categories of hub doubling, forms the intellectual foundation of the hobby. More than thirty DDO varieties have been documented for 1946, testifying to the thoroughness of modern research. Collectors new to the field often find the 1946 cent an ideal starting point — examples are inexpensive, the variety population provides realistic discovery opportunities, and distinguishing genuine hub doubling from machine doubling builds skills applicable across the entire series.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-015
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References