1970-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-028

Description

Cataloged as 1970-D 1¢ WDDO-028 in Wexler's attribution system, this doubled die obverse occupies a position deep in the extensive DDO sequence for the 1970-D Lincoln Memorial cent. With no known cross-references to CONECA, Crawford, Coppercoins, or other attribution networks, the variety's documentation relies entirely on Wexler's published research. By the twenty-eighth confirmed DDO die for a single date, the 1970-D cent has established itself as one of the most prolific doubled die dates in U.S. coinage history — rivaling the 1969-S and 1972 cents in variety count while far exceeding most other dates in the series. This concentration of hub doubling varieties speaks to conditions specific to the Denver Mint's die preparation operations during the 1970 production year, when the facility's enormous cent output demanded a continuous supply of fresh working dies. Each die began as a blank steel cylinder that was annealed, hubbed (often in multiple impressions), hardened, tempered, and then paired with a reverse die for installation in a coining press. At any point during the multi-impression hubbing stage, a shift in the hub-to-die alignment could create the overlapping design images that define a doubled die. With dozens or potentially hundreds of obverse dies prepared for 1970-D cent production, even a small percentage of hubbing errors would generate the extensive variety roster that collectors have documented over the subsequent decades. WDDO-028 adds another data point to this remarkable production history.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Andrew Kezeli Cross References: None known
• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-D 1¢ WDDO-028
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References