1972 (S) Lincoln Memorial Cent - 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. 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 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.

Cross References

• CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1972S-101 (033.7), Coppercoins: 1972S-1DO-001; Wexler Variety ID: 1972-S 1¢ WDDO-001

External References