1972-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1972-S 1¢ WDDO-001, this San Francisco Mint regular strike Lincoln Memorial cent displays a pronounced Class I clockwise spread visible on the letters of LIBERTY, the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date. The San Francisco Mint produced a limited quantity of regular business-strike cents in 1972 — sold exclusively in official mint sets — making varieties from this mint potentially scarcer than their Philadelphia or Denver counterparts, which were struck by the billions for general circulation. This variety carries extensive cross-references confirming its significance: CONECA 1-O-I, Cherrypickers FS-01-1972S-101 (formerly FS-033.7), and Coppercoins 1972S-1DO-001. The Cherrypickers listing (a standard reference for commercially significant die varieties) indicates that this doubled die carries enough premium value and collector demand to warrant inclusion in the most selective variety guides. The Class I designation confirms the doubling resulted from a clockwise rotational misalignment of the hub during the die-making process — the same fundamental mechanism responsible for the famous 1972 Philadelphia doubled dies, but occurring on a separate working die produced specifically for the San Francisco facility. Die markers for the obverse show no significant identifying features beyond the doubling itself, and the reverse similarly lacks notable die markers — suggesting the attribution specimen was in sufficiently high grade that the doubling alone provided definitive identification without need for supplementary surface-feature confirmation. The combination of clear Class I doubling across multiple design elements (LIBERTY, IGWT, and date) with the inherently lower mintage of 1972-S business strikes makes WDDO-001 one of the more desirable varieties in the San Francisco Lincoln cent catalog for this date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1972S-101 (033.7), Coppercoins: 1972S-1DO-001
• CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1972S-101 (033.7), Coppercoins: 1972S-1DO-001; Wexler Variety ID: 1972-S 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References