1937-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1937-S 1¢ WDDR-002, this doubled die reverse variety appears on a 1937-S Lincoln Wheat cent struck at the San Francisco Mint. The 1937-S cent was produced in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter and a plain edge. San Francisco struck 34,500,000 cents in 1937, a relatively modest figure compared to Philadelphia's production and one that makes 1937-S cents somewhat less common in the surviving population. Struck during the Great Depression, when mintages dropped sharply and the United States was still adjusting to the abandonment of the gold standard in 1933, this coin represents an era of significant economic upheaval. The doubling on WDDR-002 manifests as extra thickness on the letters of E PLURIBUS UNUM and the dots flanking the motto, along with a spread toward the center visible on both wheat ears. This combination of thickening on the lettering and directional spreading on the design elements suggests a Class VI distended hub mechanism. Reverse die markers provide important attribution diagnostics: a feeder finger mark oriented northeast-to-southwest appears to the right of the P in PLURIBUS, a small diagonal die scratch shows inside the center of the C in CENT, and a die scratch extends southwest from the lower left side of the E in STATES. Feeder finger marks are particularly interesting die markers because they result from the automated planchet feeding mechanism contacting the die surface, leaving distinctive linear impressions that help pinpoint individual dies. No obverse die markers have been recorded. Cross-referenced as CONECA 2-R-VI, this variety is documented in multiple attribution references and represents the second cataloged doubled die reverse for the 1937-S date in the Lincoln Wheat cent series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jose L. Cortez Cross References: CONECA: 2-R-VI
• CONECA: 2-R-VI; Wexler Variety ID: 1937-S 1¢ WDDR-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References