1950-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID 1950-D 1c WDDO-001 with no other known cross-references, this doubled die obverse on the 1950-D Lincoln Wheat Cent exhibits an extra eyelid below the normal eyelid on Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait — a localized doubling feature that creates the distinctive appearance of a second, lower eyelid contour on the president's right eye. The obverse die markers are notably rich: a strong die clash mark at the throat, a short die gouge running SW to NE between the lower 9 and 5 in the date, and a short die gouge running NW to SE to the right of the upper D in GOD. The reverse shows a die crack running down the right side of the lower right wheat ear with a large die chip at approximately the 4:00 position on the ear. The doubled eyelid variety is among the more visually appealing types of localized hub doubling because the human eye naturally focuses on facial features, making a doubled eyelid immediately recognizable once the examiner knows to look for it — unlike letter-stroke thickening that requires comparison to confirm. As WDDO-001, this variety holds the primary catalog position for obverse hub doubling on the 1950-D cent. The 1950-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in 95% copper and 5% tin-and-zinc at 3.11 grams with a 19.0 mm diameter, produced during the post-war era. The strong die clash mark at the throat indicates this die also experienced a clashing event where the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without a planchet, transferring reverse design elements to the throat area of Lincoln's portrait.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Wilson Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1950-D 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References