1945-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-017

Description

Pushing the 1945-D DDO catalog to at least seventeen entries, WDDO-017 represents one of the later additions to an already extensively documented set of Denver-mint wartime wheat cent doubled dies. The Wexler Team assigned this variety Wexler Variety ID: 1945-D 1¢ WDDO-017, placing it within their systematic framework for Lincoln cent die study documentation. Seventeen doubled die obverse varieties for a single date-mintmark is exceptional by any measure and speaks to both the volume of dies consumed during Denver's 1945 production of 266,268,000 shell-case cents and the meticulous work of variety researchers who have examined thousands of individual specimens to identify each distinct die. At catalog position seventeen, WDDO-017 was documented after sixteen more prominent varieties had already been assigned, indicating that its hub doubling features are among the more subtle in the 1945-D family. Shell-case copper cent surfaces from 1945 tend to develop a warmer, more orange-toned patina compared to standard brass, and this toning characteristic can both assist and hinder variety identification depending on its intensity. Light, even toning that preserves surface detail aids examination, while heavy or uneven toning can obscure the fine separation lines that define subtle hub doubling. Collectors should examine potential WDDO-017 specimens under incandescent or LED lighting at 10x or higher magnification, rotating the coin slowly to catch shadow edges that reveal secondary hub impressions.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1945-D 1¢ WDDO-017
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References