2016 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-012

Description

Listed by the Wexler Team as 2016 1-cent WDDO-012 with no other known cross-references, this Lincoln Shield Cent displays moderate extra thickness on the letters of LIBERTY — the hallmark of a doubled die obverse where the secondary hub impression shifted enough to create visibly thickened letter profiles but not far enough to produce distinct separated secondary images. Obverse die markers include a small die chip sitting on a die crack in the hair at the top of Lincoln's head, positioned south of the letters WE — a compound marker where the chip developed at a weak point along an existing crack, providing two related but distinct identification features in a single location. Reverse die markers are more numerous: a small die gouge inside the lower U in UNITED, a short die gouge above the right side of the M in AMERICA, a die crack running along the top left of the shield design, and two small die chips north of the P in PLURIBUS. This concentration of reverse markers across both lettering and the central shield device creates a robust attribution framework. The Lincoln Shield Cent, featuring the obverse designed by Victor David Brenner and the reverse by Lyndall Bass, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 2016 in copper-plated zinc composition at 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The Shield reverse, introduced in 2010 to replace Frank Gasparro's Memorial design, features a union shield with vertical and horizontal stripes, and doubled die varieties on this relatively new reverse type are actively sought by collectors building comprehensive Shield Cent variety sets. The die crack along the top left of the shield provides a particularly useful field identification marker, as the shield's geometric lines make any deviation from the expected pattern immediately noticeable under modest magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2016 1¢ WDDO-012
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References