2011 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-010

Description

Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse design for the Lincoln cent debuted in 2010, making 2011 only the second year of the Shield cent series when WDDO-010's working die was prepared. Moderate extra thickness on the digits of the date provides the diagnostic for this variety, where the secondary hub impression nearly coincided with the primary, producing date numerals that appear measurably heavier and bolder than standard strikes. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 2011 1¢ WDDO-010, with no other known cross-references and no significant obverse or reverse die markers recorded. Ten documented obverse doubled dies for only the second year of a new design series demonstrates the intense scrutiny modern Lincoln cents receive from the variety collecting community — the combination of huge mintages (Philadelphia produced billions of cents in 2011) and an active network of cherry-pickers ensures that even subtle hub doublings are detected and cataloged rapidly. Moderate extra thickness, positioned between light and strong on the intensity scale, means the date numerals should display noticeably bolder strokes visible under standard 5-7x magnification. The modern zinc-plated composition of Shield cents provides a clean plating surface on uncirculated specimens that facilitates doubled die examination, though the copper plating can develop spots that may obscure fine details on specimens that have been improperly stored.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Smith Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2011 1¢ WDDO-010
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References