1940-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-012

Description

Twelfth in the Wexler-cataloged obverse doubled die census for the 1940-D Mercury dime, WDDO-012 presents a very close Class II spread towards the center on the date. The "towards the center" spread direction describes a compression-type displacement where the secondary hub impression shifted inward relative to the primary, affecting peripheral design elements most while leaving central features comparatively unchanged. The "very close" qualifier indicates the two impressions nearly overlap, producing subtle thickening of the date numerals rather than dramatically separated doubled images — a challenging diagnostic that requires patient examination under magnification. Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head design, in production since 1916, places the date at the lower left of the obverse where the four-digit year occupies a recessed area against the field below Liberty's portrait. Denver struck approximately 21.20 million Mercury dimes in 1940, a pre-war production year when the economy was accelerating toward defense mobilization. Obverse die markers provide crucial identification points: a WSW/ENE (west-southwest to east-northeast) oriented die scratch on the upper back of Liberty's neck offers a directional diagnostic unique to this working die. On the reverse, a short die scratch connecting the bottoms of the S and T in STATES provides a second die-specific marker. The Wexler Team cataloged this variety under Wexler Variety ID: 1940-D 10¢ WDDO-012, with no additional cross-references currently known. Collectors should first locate the neck scratch and the S-T connecting scratch to confirm the correct die pair, then examine the date under 20x or higher magnification for the very close inward displacement. The Class II rotational mechanism means the displacement varies across the date digits based on their distance from the hub pivot point.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Thomas McGowan Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1940-D 10¢ WDDO-012
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References