1972 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Second only to WDDO-001 in fame among the 1972 Philadelphia doubled dies, WDDO-002 displays a very strong Class I counterclockwise (CCW) spread on the letters of LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, the front of Lincoln's bust, and the date. If the legendary WDDO-001 did not exist, this variety would most likely be considered a major variety in its own right — its doubling is strong enough to be visible under low magnification and has caught on with collectors over the past several years, with prices for nice Brilliant Uncirculated specimens continuing to rise significantly. Two obverse die stages and two reverse die stages have been documented, recording the die's progressive deterioration through its production life. Obverse Stage A: A small die gouge can be found below and between the I and B of LIBERTY. A small die gouge can be found touching the top of the T of LIBERTY just left of the center. A short, vertical die gouge can be found between the tops of the G and O of GOD. A short die gouge can be found SE of the 2nd T of TRUST. A short die scratch runs from NW to SE below the 9 in the date. A die gouge extends east near the bottom of the front of Lincoln's shoulder. A die gouge can be found between the bust and the rim just to the right of the designer's initials. Obverse Stage B: The doubling has a mushier appearance than what is seen on Stage A specimens — indicating die wear has softened the sharp edges of the doubled images. Most Stage A markers are very weak or no longer present. Two small die gouges can be found at the top front of the forehead. Reverse Stage A: A small die gouge (dot) can be found to the left of the bottom of the E in UNITED. A small die gouge can be found below and between the bottoms of the E and D of UNITED. A short, diagonal die scratch can be found to the right of the 1st A in AMERICA. A short die scratch extends SW from the bottom left side of the 12th Memorial column. A die scratch arcs through the upper E of ONE and C of CENT. Reverse Stage B: Most Stage A markers are now much weaker or missing. A small die gouge can be found to the left of the upper first Memorial column. A short, vertical die scratch can be found to the right of the 2nd A in AMERICA. Cross-referenced as CONECA 2-O-I, Cherrypickers' Guide FS-01-1972-102 (033.52), Crawford CDDO-002, and Coppercoins 1972P-1DO-002. For collectors, early die state (Stage A obverse with Stage A reverse) specimens command a premium because the doubling appears at its sharpest before die wear begins to soften the secondary images — a collecting principle that applies across all multi-stage doubled die varieties.

Attribution History

• CONECA: 2-O-I, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1972-102 (033.52), Crawford: CDDO-002, Coppercoins: 1972P-1DO-002 Comments: This is a very nice Class I doubled die variety. If Die #1 (WDDO-001) did not exist, this would most likely be considered to be a major variety in its own right. This variety, because of the strong spread of the doubling, has caught on with collectors over the past several years and prices for nice Brilliant Uncirculated specimens have continued to rise significantly.; Wexler Variety ID: 1972 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References