1940 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-023

Description

Twenty-third in the Wexler obverse doubled die census for the 1940 Lincoln wheat cent, WDDO-023 exhibits an extra eyelid above Lincoln's normal eyelid combined with a very close spread toward the center on the date and IN GOD WE TRUST. The upward displacement of the extra eyelid — positioned above rather than below the primary — distinguishes this variety from the more common downward-displaced eyelid doubling found on many Lincoln cent DDOs. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait had been in production for over three decades by 1940, and the sheer volume of dies consumed annually ensured that hub doubling events occurred with statistical regularity. The "very close spread towards the center" on the date and IGWT describes a convergent hub displacement where the secondary impression landed slightly inward relative to the primary, producing thickened rather than clearly separated character forms. Die markers assist attribution: the obverse carries a die gouge (dot) to the right of the lower U in TRUST, while the reverse shows no significant markers. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 1940 1¢ WDDO-023, with no additional cross-references known. The high sequence number — 023 — reflects the extensive doubled die documentation that has been compiled for the 1940 date, one of many pre-war wheat cent years where Philadelphia's production of approximately 586.8 million cents consumed hundreds of die pairs. The combined diagnostics of upward extra eyelid plus center-convergent date and motto doubling create a multi-point attribution protocol. Collectors should first locate the die gouge dot near the U in TRUST to confirm the correct die, then examine the eyelid area at 10-15x magnification for the extra line above the primary eyelid, and finally check the date digits for the subtle center-directed thickening that characterizes the close spread.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tanner Scott Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1940 1¢ WDDO-023
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References