1942 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-004

Description

Fourth documented doubled die reverse for the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent, WDDR-004 is among the earliest varieties identified in the extensive catalog of hub doubling for this wartime date. Early-numbered DDRs in a large series often represent the more visible or more easily detected varieties — those with stronger doubling spread, more affected design elements, or more accessible diagnostic features that brought them to the attention of researchers before subtler varieties were cataloged. The 1942 cent was produced in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper with the balance in tin and zinc, a formula that had been used since 1909 and would be abandoned after this year in favor of the emergency zinc-coated steel composition of 1943. Doubled die reverses form during die sinking when the hub rotates, shifts, or tilts between successive impressions, leaving overlapping design images in the die face. These doubled features become a permanent characteristic of that die, transferring identically to every coin it strikes. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDR-004, this variety provides an accessible entry point for collectors beginning to explore the extensive population of 1942 DDRs that documents die production at Philadelphia during the first full year of American involvement in World War II.

Attribution History

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

External References