1942 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-007

Description

Seventh doubled die reverse attributed by the Wexler Team for the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety carries the designation 1942 1c WDDR-007 with no other known cross-references. Seven DDRs documented for 1942 underscores the depth of variety research on this historically significant wartime date — the year America fully mobilized for World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Philadelphia Mint cent production in 1942 was enormous, generating the die consumption that statistically produces numerous hub alignment varieties. The 1942 date also represents the final year of the standard bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) before the emergency switch to zinc-coated steel planchets in 1943, giving these cents a metallurgical significance beyond their die variety interest. Doubled die reverses form when successive hub impressions during die manufacture fail to register precisely, leaving permanently overlapping design elements in the die that then transfer to every coin struck. Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse — with its two curved stalks, the ONE CENT denomination, E PLURIBUS UNUM motto, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscription — provided the fine detail and lettering where hub displacement could be detected through careful examination. Seven distinct reverse hub varieties from a single date represents substantial documentation of die manufacturing variation at the wartime Philadelphia facility.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1942 1¢ WDDR-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References