1957 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-009

Description

Ninth in the Wexler Team's DDO roster for the 1957 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-009 is cataloged under the designation 1957 1¢ WDDO-009 without supplementary cross-references. The depth of the 1957 DDO census -- at least ten documented varieties -- reflects both the substantial Philadelphia mintage of 282.5 million cents and the thorough examination these late-date wheat cents have received from variety specialists. With only two years remaining before the wheat ears reverse was replaced, collectors have treated the 1957-1958 dates as a particularly important segment of the series to catalog exhaustively. Each of the nine WDDO varieties preceding WDDO-009 documents a distinct hub misalignment event on a distinct working die, and WDDO-009 adds another data point to the cumulative record. Hub doubling on wheat cents from the late 1950s should be evaluated carefully against the potential for machine doubling, which can produce superficially similar effects but results from mechanical issues during the striking process rather than from die preparation errors. Genuine hub doubling produces rounded, raised secondary images, while machine doubling creates flat, shelf-like displacement. This distinction is critical for accurate attribution and directly affects a coin's numismatic value, as hub doubling (true doubled die) commands significant premiums while machine doubling does not. Collectors examining candidate coins for WDDO-009 should use strong directional lighting at an angle that highlights the dimensional quality of the doubling, making the raised secondary image stand out against the background field. The specific elements affected and the direction of displacement define WDDO-009's identity within the ten-variety 1957 DDO group.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1957 1¢ WDDO-009
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References