1953 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Fourth cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1953-S Lincoln Wheat Cent in the Wexler system, this variety's primary diagnostic is an extra eyelid visible below the normal eyelid on Lincoln's portrait — a subtle but distinctive form of hub doubling that manifests on the fine detail of the president's eye rather than on the larger lettering elements where doubling is more commonly detected. The extra eyelid results from a slight vertical displacement between hub impressions, creating a secondary impression of the eyelid line displaced downward from the primary. Die markers provide fixed attribution diagnostics: on the obverse, a die gouge in the form of a dot appears below the right side of the W in WE; on the reverse, a die scratch runs southwest from the upper left of the E in E PLURIBUS UNUM, and another die scratch runs between the upper N and T in CENT in a south-southwest to north-northeast orientation. Wexler Variety ID: 1953-S 1c WDDO-004. No additional cross-references are known. The 1953-S Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint during the final decade of Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse, which would be replaced by Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design in 1959. Bronze composition, 3.11 grams. Eyelid doubling on Lincoln's portrait rewards patient examination with a variety that is easy to overlook but unmistakable once identified.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1953-S 1¢ WDDO-004

External References