1939 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-018

Description

Eighteenth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1939 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-018 reveals two extra eyelids below Lincoln's primary eyelid — the same triple-impression diagnostic that characterizes a subset of hub-doubled Lincoln cent obverse dies. The Wexler Team documented specific die markers: on the obverse, a die scratch runs in an ENE direction from the front of Lincoln's throat above the bowtie, while the reverse carries nearly horizontal die scratches through the UN letters in UNITED. These die-specific markers provide crucial secondary identification pathways for confirming the correct die before evaluating the subtle eyelid doubling. Philadelphia struck approximately 316.5 million cents in 1939, a pre-war production year when expanding economic recovery was driving increased demand for circulating coinage. The presence of two extra eyelids — rather than the more common single extra eyelid — indicates the working die received at least three hub impressions, each displacing the eye area of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait at slightly different positions. This triple-impression scenario produces a cascade of secondary contour lines below the primary eyelid, creating a more complex diagnostic pattern than typical single-displacement DDOs. The high WDDO number (018) for the 1939 date reflects the depth of variety documentation that Philadelphia wheat cents from the late 1930s have received from Wexler Team researchers. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1939 1¢ WDDO-018, with no additional attribution system listings currently known. Collectors should first locate the throat die scratch on the obverse — its ENE trajectory from the throat above the bowtie makes it distinct from circulation damage — then verify the horizontal die scratches through UN on the reverse before examining the eye area under 10-15x magnification for the two displaced secondary eyelid impressions.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Antenucci Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1939 1¢ WDDO-018
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References