1946-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-007

Description

Seventh in the obverse doubled die census for the 1946-S Lincoln wheat cent, DDO-007 presents medium spread on 94 of the date and light spread on ERTY of LIBERTY — a split-intensity doubling pattern that reveals the geometric relationship between design element positions and the hub displacement axis. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1742 and DMR-055, documenting three die stages: Stage A where die scratches running north-south appear on the obverse at early die state with the reverse also at EDS, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The comments note the mintmark as MMS-007 (sans serif), identifying the specific S mintmark punch style used on this die — a sans serif S lacking the decorative terminals found on serif mintmark punches. San Francisco struck approximately 198.1 million cents in 1946, the first postwar year when the mint returned to standard peacetime production levels following the disruptions of World War II. Victor David Brenner's wheat cent design was entering its final decade of production. The medium spread on the date digits 94 indicates the doubling is visible under moderate magnification without extreme difficulty, while the light spread on ERTY requires more careful examination — this intensity gradient across the design is typical of hub doubling where different areas fall at varying distances from the tilt or shift axis. The north-south die scratches on the obverse at Stage A provide the primary die identification marker, while the sans serif S mintmark style offers additional attribution data. Collectors should first confirm the MMS-007 mintmark, then examine the 94 in the date under 10-15x magnification for the medium spread displacement.

Die Markers

• UVC-1742
• DMR-055
• Stage A:
• Die scratches North-South on Obverse – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Franzen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References