1939 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Spread toward the center on the date numerals distinguishes this second documented doubled die obverse for the 1939 Philadelphia Mint Mercury Dime, cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1939 10-cent WDDO-002 with no other known cross-references. The obverse die carries a vertical die scratch to the left of the lower forehead area running down into the upper back of the nose, while the reverse shows a die scratch running parallel to the rim above the UN in UNITED and a short east-west die gouge below the left side of the E in ONE. Center-directed spread on the date is consistent with Class IV offset hub doubling, where the hub shifts between hubbing impressions in a direction that compresses design elements toward the coin's center. The 1939 Mercury Dime was struck during the final full year of peace before World War II reached American shores, and Adolph Weinman's Winged Liberty Head design — often called the Mercury Dime for its resemblance to the Roman god — was in its twenty-third year of production. Philadelphia's 1939 output of over 67 million dimes provided ample raw material for die variety research, though only two doubled die obverses have been documented for the date, suggesting that die preparation procedures for the 1939-P were relatively well controlled.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1939 10¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References