1942 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

The 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent holds a distinctive place in American numismatics as the final year of the standard bronze alloy — 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc — before wartime necessity forced the switch to zinc-coated steel in 1943. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1942 1¢ WDDO-004, this doubled die obverse variety was struck at Philadelphia from a mintage of 657,796,000 pieces. America had been fully at war since the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, and by 1942 the strategic importance of copper for shell casings and electrical wiring was already prompting the Mint to explore alternative compositions. Hub doubling on the obverse die created this variety through the standard mechanism of misaligned successive impressions during die manufacture. Collectors examining 1942 cents should note that specimens from this final bronze year often display the warm, reddish-copper color that would vanish entirely from Lincoln Cents the following year, making well-preserved examples aesthetically as well as numismatically appealing.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References