1954-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

San Francisco's 1954 cent production was comparatively modest at approximately 96 million pieces, making doubled die varieties from this mint facility somewhat scarcer in absolute population than their Denver or Philadelphia counterparts. WDDO-004, documented by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID: 1954-S 1¢ WDDO-004, records the fourth known doubled die obverse pairing for the 1954-S wheat cent. The hub doubling on this die affects elements of the obverse legend and portrait detail, created when the working die received a second impression from the master hub with measurable angular or lateral displacement. In the context of 1950s cent production, the San Francisco facility was winding down its cent coinage operations — the 1955-S would be the last S-mint wheat cent — and production volumes were a fraction of Denver's output. This relative scarcity means that WDDO-004 specimens surface less frequently in dealer inventories and at coin shows than comparable Denver varieties. Attribution requires careful comparison against the Wexler reference images, with particular attention to the spread direction and affected design elements. Circulated examples in VF to AU grades represent the most commonly encountered condition for this variety, as few 1954-S cents were saved in Mint State by contemporary collectors.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1954-S 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References