1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-022

Description

Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-022, this doubled die obverse was struck at Philadelphia during the Lincoln Wheat cent's 37th year of production. Brenner's 1909 design had become the longest-running obverse motif on any active denomination, and its familiar portrait provided the field on which hub doubling left its imprint. The 1946 cent was manufactured from shell-case brass — 95% copper, 5% zinc — the recycled military alloy representing one of the last tangible connections to the wartime economy. Philadelphia produced 991,655,000 cents, a mintage requiring continual die replacement and thus multiplying opportunities for hub misalignment during multi-impression die-making. The Wexler team's cataloging of WDDO-022 reflects the ongoing nature of variety research: even decades after production, new varieties can be discovered as collectors examine previously unsearched material. The methodology behind each attribution — photographing, classifying, and comparing against all documented varieties — ensures the catalog grows with rigor. For the collector who values process over flash, pursuing minor doubled dies represents numismatics at its most analytical.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-022
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References