1946-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-014

Description

Brenner's Lincoln portrait first appeared on American coinage in 1909, making it the longest-running obverse design in U.S. Mint history. By 1946, the design was thirty-seven years old — refined through decades of hub modifications and die production experience — yet still capable of yielding new doubled die varieties as working dies were sunk from master hubs under varying conditions. WDDO-014 from the 1946-D cent is the fourteenth doubled die obverse documented for this postwar Denver Mint issue, where the return to standard bronze alloy ended a three-year experiment with wartime compositions. Lincoln's right-facing portrait, with its carefully sculpted hair, beard, and coat details, provides rich territory for hub doubling to manifest. The portrait's high relief relative to the field means that even fractional hub misalignment can produce detectable secondary images on the shoulder, ear, or brow when examined under magnification by a practiced eye. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1946-D 1¢ WDDO-014.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D 1¢ WDDO-014
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References