1942 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-013

Description

Wexler Variety ID 1942 1¢ WDDO-013 designates a doubled die obverse on the Lincoln Wheat Cent from the last year that American cents were struck in their traditional bronze composition. The December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor had thrust the nation into total war, and by 1942 every aspect of industrial production — including coinage — was being evaluated for potential contribution to the military effort. Philadelphia's output of over 657 million cents consumed numerous working dies, each manufactured through a hubbing process that occasionally introduced the slight misalignment responsible for doubled die varieties. The numismatic significance of 1942 cents extends beyond their variety status: they represent the closing chapter of a thirty-three-year production run in bronze that began with Brenner's original 1909 design. Positive attribution of WDDO-013 requires examination of the specific obverse design elements where doubling manifests, compared carefully against reference images to exclude the possibility of confusion with neighboring varieties in the WDDO sequence.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDO-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References