1944-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-018

Description

Positioned in the middle of the extensive 1944-D DDO sequence, WDDO-018 was identified by the Wexler Team under cross-reference Wexler Variety ID: 1944-D 1¢ WDDO-018. The eighteen documented DDO varieties for this date-mint pair represent one of the largest concentrations of doubled die obverse varieties for any Lincoln Wheat cent issue, a direct consequence of Denver's enormous 1944 production of over 430 million cents. Each obverse die that entered the press had been created through multiple hubbing impressions, and any shift between those impressions — whether rotational, lateral, or a combination — became permanently embedded in the die's working surface. WDDO-018 captures one such instance of hub misalignment on a die that subsequently struck thousands of cents before being retired. The 1944-D shell-case brass cent is a popular date among both series collectors and error-variety specialists, as the wartime composition adds historical context to any variety attribution. Successful identification of WDDO-018 requires not only confirming the presence of hub doubling but also distinguishing it from the seventeen other cataloged DDO varieties for the date by matching the affected design elements and spread characteristics against the Wexler master images.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1944-D 1¢ WDDO-018
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References