1976 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1976 1¢ WDDO-003 and submitted by Jennifer Casazza, this doubled die obverse variety on the 1976 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent is particularly noteworthy because it shares a die pair with WDDR-001 — meaning both obverse and reverse doubling can be found on a single coin struck from this die marriage. The doubling manifests as extra thickness on ONE CENT, slightly on the UNI of UNITED, the designer's initials FG, and AMERICA. Distinctive notching is visible on the upper UNI of UNITED, the upper N in CENT, and the lower R and second A in AMERICA, with additional notches appearing on the lower letters in ONE CENT when viewed upside down. Notching — where the doubled outline creates a serrated or tooth-like edge along letter strokes — is a hallmark of hub doubling that helps distinguish genuine die doubling from machine doubling or strike doubling. The die markers for WDDO-003 are extensive on both sides: on the obverse, a diagonal die scratch sits inside the O in GOD, another diagonal die scratch appears above and to the left of the L in LIBERTY, and a die scratch runs northeast from the upper right of the B in LIBERTY. Additionally, a die gouge (dot) can be found on the lower front of the vest, and die scratches running south-southwest to north-northeast appear at the bottom of the third Memorial bay. The reverse carries a die scratch on the roof above the third bay and fourth column, a heavy die scratch running north-northeast from the upper tenth column to the top of the bay, and a die scratch running west-southwest from under the Memorial north of the T in CENT. No additional cross-reference numbers beyond the Wexler designation are known for this variety. Attribution by the Wexler Team.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1976 1¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References