1956-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Third in the Wexler catalog for 1956-D doubled die obverses, WDDO-003 holds an early position that typically indicates relatively strong or readily identifiable hub doubling. Assigned Wexler Variety ID: 1956-D 1¢ WDDO-003, this variety was among the first wave of doubled die obverses documented for Denver's billion-piece 1956 wheat cent output. Early catalog numbers in the Wexler system generally reflect varieties that were either discovered first chronologically or that display the most prominent doubling among the known entries for a given date — and often these factors coincide, as stronger doubled dies are naturally the first to attract attention from variety researchers. WDDO-003 exhibits hub doubling on obverse design elements created during the multi-impression die manufacturing process at Philadelphia, where working dies received successive hub impressions that occasionally deviated from perfect alignment. With at least ten DDO varieties documented for 1956-D, this early-numbered entry serves as one of the more accessible starting points for collectors interested in exploring the full range of hub doubling present in this issue year. Denver's production of 1,098,201,100 cents in 1956 was the second-highest annual Denver wheat cent output (behind only 1957), ensuring robust survival rates across all grade levels. Collectors who locate WDDO-003 should document their find with detailed photographs capturing the spread characteristics under directional lighting, both for personal records and to contribute to the broader die study community's knowledge base.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1956-D 1¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References