1943 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-015

Description

An extra upper eyelid projecting north of the main eyelid on Lincoln's portrait provides the headline diagnostic for WDDO-015, with slight additional doubling visible on the lower inside of the ear. CONECA cross-references this variety as 21-O-IV, while the Wexler files assign the identifier 1943 1 cent WDDO-015. Multiple die cracks document this obverse die's progressive deterioration: one crack runs northwest from the eyebrow, another spans the base of the bust and intersects with a crack descending the shoulder above the D in V.D.B., and a die chip sits under that intersecting crack southeast of the B in V.D.B. No significant reverse die markers were noted. The 1943 Lincoln cent was struck on zinc-coated steel planchets — a wartime expedient adopted when copper was diverted to military use — making these coins uniquely susceptible to corrosion and surface deterioration that can obscure fine variety details. The eyelid doubling, classified as Class IV in the CONECA system, represents a design element offset where the secondary hub impression slightly displaced the upper eyelid contour, creating a parallel ridge visible under magnification. The intersection of multiple die cracks at the bust truncation suggests this die experienced significant stress during its service life, and specimens from later die states may show more extensive cracking that partially obscures or complements the primary doubled eyelid feature.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA: 21-O-IV
• CONECA: 21-O-IV; Wexler Variety ID: 1943 1¢ WDDO-015
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References