1971 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Carrying the most extensive die marker documentation of any variety in the 1971 Lincoln Memorial cent WDDO sequence, WDDO-004 documents a Class I counterclockwise spread on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date across three meticulously recorded die stages. Cross-referenced as CONECA 4-O-I, Crawford CDDO-002, and Coppercoins 1971P-1DO-003, this variety's three-stage progression provides one of the most complete die life histories in the series. Stage A introduces a long die scratch running SW to NE below the R in LIBERTY as the initial obverse marker, while the reverse shows a die scratch running SW from the lower right N of ONE. Stage B dramatically expands the obverse marker set: a die scratch runs ENE from the top of the L in LIBERTY, parallel scratches run SW to NE in the field right of Lincoln's eye, die scratches run WSW to ENE above the Y in LIBERTY, and numerous other scratches appear throughout — indicating the die surface was deteriorating broadly under continued production stress. The reverse at Stage B adds two parallel die scratches running NNW from the top of the second U in PLURIBUS, V-shaped scratches to the right of the second S in STATES, and parallel scratches from SW to NE through the lower NI of UNITED, among numerous additional scratches across the surface. Stage C marks terminal deterioration: most Stage B die scratches have weakened or disappeared — a phenomenon caused by advanced die polishing or metal flow — but a strong die scratch WSW to ENE above the Y in LIBERTY persists. A vertical die clash mark above the left side of the 7 appears, recording an unobstructed die-to-die impact event that occurred during the die's late-stage service. A die crack runs NNE from the top of the ear to the top of the head below the W in WE. On the reverse at Stage C, Stage B scratches have faded, replaced by die cracks running down the first two columns and the last two columns — structural fractures in the Memorial architecture that mark the reverse die's approaching retirement. This three-stage chronicle, spanning clean surfaces through extensive scratching to terminal cracking, gives collectors a detailed roadmap for determining where any given specimen falls within the die's production history.

Attribution History

• CONECA: 4-O-I, Crawford: CDDO-002, Coppercoins: 1971P-1DO-003; Wexler Variety ID: 1971 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References