2015 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-033

Description

Thirty-third in the Wexler-documented obverse doubled die census for the 2015 Lincoln Shield cent, WDDO-033 exhibits extra thickness on the letters of LIBERTY with a distinctive asymmetric diagnostic: the top right branch of the letter Y appears noticeably thicker than the top left branch, and notches show on the lower left of the letters ERTY. This asymmetric thickening pattern — where one arm of the Y is demonstrably heavier than the other — provides an exceptionally clear visual diagnostic that aids collectors in attributing this variety even at moderate magnification. The notches on the lower left of ERTY represent localized areas where the secondary hub impression created small, step-like displacements along the letter contours, adding a second diagnostic region independent of the Y thickness difference. Lyndall Bass designed the Shield cent reverse that replaced the Lincoln Memorial in 2010, but the obverse retains Victor David Brenner's iconic Lincoln portrait with LIBERTY positioned to the left of the bust — the same general layout that has characterized the Lincoln cent since 1909. Philadelphia struck approximately 4.67 billion cents in 2015, and the Wexler Team cataloged this variety under Wexler Variety ID: 2015 1c WDDO-033, with no additional cross-references from other attribution services currently known. No significant obverse or reverse die markers were recorded beyond the doubling itself, meaning attribution relies entirely on the doubled die characteristics rather than supplementary die-specific scratches or gouges. The existence of at least 33 documented obverse doubled dies for a single year of Lincoln Shield cent production reflects the ongoing intensity of variety research in the modern era. Collectors should compare the two upper branches of the Y in LIBERTY under 10-15x magnification — the right branch should appear measurably thicker than the left on genuine WDDO-033 specimens — and then examine the lower-left contours of ERTY for the confirming notch displacement.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jason Caldwell Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2015 1¢ WDDO-033
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References