1972-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Presenting one of the more visually appealing doubled die signatures among the 1972-S regular strike varieties, WDDO-006 displays a very nice Class I clockwise spread on the letters of LIBERTY, the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date. The characterization as "very nice" in the attribution documentation suggests a spread that is somewhat broader or more distinct than the "very close" spreads described for WDDO-002 and WDDO-005 — placing WDDO-006 among the stronger minor doubled dies for the 1972 San Francisco regular strikes. The obverse die markers reflect a die that experienced notable surface events during production: a die scratch runs southeast from the rim to the head between GOD and WE; short die gouges extend from the rim above IN and the D of GOD; and a die gouge runs from northwest to southeast in the field north of the "2" in the date. The rim-to-head scratch between GOD and WE is particularly diagnostic because of its length and prominent positioning in an area collectors naturally examine when evaluating IGWT doubling. On the reverse: a short, vertical die scratch in the upper U of UNITED; a short die gouge to the left of the lower T in UNITED; a short die gouge running northeast from the center of the E in UNITED; and a short die scratch between the lower P and L of PLURIBUS. The concentration of reverse markers in the UNITED area creates a convenient cluster that can be verified in a single field of view under magnification. As a regular strike from the lower-mintage San Francisco facility, WDDO-006 carries inherent scarcity relative to Philadelphia doubled dies of similar strength — the total population of coins produced by any single S-mint die is substantially smaller than for a comparable P-mint die running at full production speed.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A die scratch runs SE from the rim to the head between GOD and WE. Short die gouges extend from the rim above IN and the D of GOD. A die gouge runs from NW to SE in the field north of the 2. Reverse: A short, vertical die scratch can be found in the upper U of UNITED. A short die gouge can be found to the left of the lower T in UNITED. A short die gouge runs NE from the center of the E in UNITED. A short die scratch can be found between the lower P and L of PLURIBUS.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References