1944-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-033

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1944-D 1¢ WDDO-033, this doubled die obverse variety was struck on a 1944-D Lincoln Wheat cent at the Denver Mint during World War II. The 1944 cent was produced in shell case copper composition — 95% copper and 5% zinc — using recycled brass shell casings from military ammunition, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter and a plain edge. Denver struck 430,578,000 cents in 1944, a massive wartime figure. The primary diagnostic on WDDO-033 is an extra eyelid visible just above the normal eyelid on Lincoln's portrait, a subtle but definitive doubled die indicator that results from a slight vertical displacement of the hub during the die-making process. Extra eyelid varieties are among the most sought-after doubled die obverse types on Lincoln cents because the eyelid area provides a sharply defined reference point where even minimal hub displacement creates a clearly identifiable doubled impression. This coin is additionally a dual-variety die: the obverse also carries a repunched mintmark listed in the Wexler RPM Files as 1944-D 1¢ WRPM-020, classified as a D/D Tilted (Rotated). The combination of a doubled die obverse with a repunched mintmark on the same die makes this a particularly noteworthy specimen for variety collectors. Obverse die markers beyond the doubling include a die gouge above the 9 of the date and a die scratch to the upper right of the N in IN. On the reverse, a die gouge can be found inside the upper portion of the C of CENT. The wartime shell case composition gives 1944 cents a distinctly reddish-gold tone compared to the standard bronze alloy, and this visual characteristic combined with the WDDO-033 extra eyelid doubling and the WRPM-020 repunched mintmark creates a triple-interest coin: composition variety, doubled die, and repunched mintmark all on a single specimen.

Attribution History

• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1944-D 1¢ WDDO-033
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References