1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-020

Description

Twentieth in the Wexler-documented obverse doubled die census for the 1936 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-020 reveals an extra eyelid visible directly east of the normal eyelid on Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait — a distinctive doubling diagnostic found on several Lincoln cent obverse dies where the carefully sculpted facial detail reveals even minimal hub displacement in the eye area. The doubled eyelid type is among the most visually intuitive Lincoln cent doubled die diagnostics because it appears on the most prominent feature of the portrait, where viewers' attention naturally focuses. Obverse die markers provide supplementary attribution support: die scratches running parallel to the rim below Lincoln's bust create a distinctive arc pattern unique to this die. The reverse carries a more dramatic diagnostic — a die crack running through the outer wheat kernels on the right wheat stalk, offering a highly visible confirmation feature that can be spotted at lower magnification before committing to the more demanding eyelid examination. The Wexler Team cataloged this variety under Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-020, with no additional cross-references currently known from other attribution services. Philadelphia struck approximately 309.6 million cents in 1936, a substantial Depression-era output that reflected the ongoing recovery in economic activity and coin circulation demand. The eastward displacement of the extra eyelid — visible to the right of the normal eyelid when viewing the coin in standard orientation — creates a parallel line that follows the curvature of the primary eyelid contour. Collectors should examine Lincoln's eye under 10-15x magnification for the secondary eyelid line east of the primary, then confirm by checking the right wheat stalk reverse for the die crack through the outer kernels.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 1¢ WDDO-020
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References