1972 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-021

Description

Wexler Variety ID 1972 1¢ WDDO-021 is a Philadelphia mint doubled die obverse presenting a clockwise spread as an extra horizontal bar of the "2" in the date above the normal horizontal bar. No external cross-references have been documented. An important diagnostic note accompanies the reverse description: "EDS" — Early Die State — indicating that the attribution specimen was struck from this reverse die early in its production life when the die was still sharp and had not yet accumulated significant wear, flow lines, or deterioration. Early die state coins preserve the crispest die marker detail and often command attention from variety specialists who prize the sharpest possible examples of documented varieties. Obverse die markers include two light parallel die scratches running north-northeast from the top of the T in LIBERTY, and a die gouge (dot) found north of the "7" in the date. The reverse, examined in its early die state condition, shows a short die scratch running from south-southwest to north-northeast on the right base of the Memorial below the eleventh bay. The relatively minimal marker set — two obverse features and one reverse feature — combined with the EDS notation suggests that this variety was documented from a well-preserved specimen that happened to be from an early production run, giving confidence that the listed markers are genuine die characteristics rather than progressive deterioration artifacts. Collectors seeking WDDO-021 should focus on the parallel T-of-LIBERTY scratches and the dot north of the "7" as primary confirmation points.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1972 1¢ WDDO-021
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References