1971 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

Fifth in the Wexler doubled die obverse sequence for the 1971 Lincoln Memorial cent, WDDO-005 documents a Philadelphia Mint variety with more limited attribution documentation than the extensively cross-referenced WDDO-001 through WDDO-004. Cross-referenced to Coppercoins 1971P-1DO-006, this variety carries a single external attribution link that confirms its independent recognition outside the Wexler system. The Coppercoins cross-reference places WDDO-005 as the sixth distinct doubled die obverse cataloged for the 1971 Philadelphia Mint in that system's numbering, indicating that different attribution organizations assign different sequence numbers to the same physical varieties based on their own discovery and cataloging timelines. The 1971 Philadelphia Mint produced Lincoln cents without a mintmark, and the date is notable for generating a substantial family of doubled die obverse varieties — a consequence of the multiple hub-to-die sinking cycles required to prepare working dies, each cycle carrying potential for misalignment that embeds permanent overlapping design impressions into the die steel. WDDO-005 occupies the middle range of the 1971 WDDO catalog, where varieties tend to show less dramatic doubling than the early entries like the very strong WDDO-001 but still preserve detectable hub displacement evidence that rewards careful magnified examination. Attribution requires comparison against the specific die marker photographs published by Wexler for this variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Conway Cross References: Coppercoins: 1971P-1DO-006
• Coppercoins: 1971P-1DO-006; Wexler Variety ID: 1971 1¢ WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References