1970-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Carrying Cherrypickers' Guide designation FS-01-1970S-101 (029) and Breen catalog number 2255, the 1970-S WDDO-001 under the Large Date parent documents what numismatic literature consistently ranks among the most significant Lincoln cent doubled dies ever produced. This Class I clockwise spread variety displays very strong doubling on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date — a dramatic rotational separation between hub impressions that experienced collectors can detect with the unaided eye on specimens retaining original surface detail. The variety's cross-reference footprint spans every major attribution system: CONECA 1-O-I, Crawford CDDO-001, and Coppercoins 1970S-1DO-001, in addition to the Cherrypickers' and Breen citations. Contemporary accounts describe the total known population at only a few dozen specimens, a figure that has grown only modestly since the variety was first documented, confirming its genuine scarcity rather than mere underreporting. Stage A obverse die markers have been cataloged, providing the diagnostic reference points necessary for definitive attribution. The Large Date parent classification reflects the ODV-025 date logotype hub, which produces visibly larger and more widely spaced date digits compared to the Small Date ODV-026 hub. Since the doubled die anomaly is a property of the working die's hubbing sequence — independent of which date logotype was applied — WDDO-001 appears in the catalog under both date style parents. The convergence of Class I doubling strength, extreme rarity, Cherrypickers' Guide recognition, and Breen encyclopedia inclusion makes this variety a cornerstone entry in any comprehensive study of 1970-S Lincoln cent die varieties. Die Markers: Obverse: Numerous die scratches run from SW to NE through the letters of WE and between WE and TRUST. A vertical die scratch can be found above the E in LIBERTY. A die scratch runs NE from the mint mark through the lower 7 and the upper left zero in the date. A die scratch runs from north to south below the chin. Reverse: A die scratch runs SE from the top right of the 2nd T in STATES to the top right of the 1st U in PLURIBUS. A short, diagonal die gouge can be found to the right of the top of the M in UNUM. A die gouge can be found to the left of the bottom of the T in CENT. A short die scratch runs from SSW to NNE in the field below the Memoial and left of the left post.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joseph Koelling Cross References: CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-01-1970S-101 (029), Breen: #2255, Crawford: CDDO-001, Coppercoins: 1970S-1DO-001 Comments: This is without doubt one of the rarest of the major Lincoln cent doubled die varieties. Only a few dozen specimens of this variety have been reported over the years.
• CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-01-1970S-101 (029), Breen: #2255, Crawford: CDDO-001, Coppercoins: 1970S-1DO-001 Comments: This is without doubt one of the rarest of the major Lincoln cent doubled die varieties. Only a few dozen specimens of this variety have been reported over the years.; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References