1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Postwar reconversion at the Philadelphia Mint in 1946 brought Lincoln Cent production back to the standard bronze composition after the wartime detours of steel (1943) and recycled brass shell casings (1944-45). WDDO-002 for the 1946 cent exhibits extra eyelids directly under and above the normal eyelid — a doubled portrait diagnostic that parallels the eyelid doubling seen on several other Wheat Cent DDOs. Very slight doubling toward the center appears on GOD WE TRUST, indicating the hub shifted inward between passes during die creation. Obverse die markers include die clash marks to the right of Lincoln's throat and to the left of the back of the neck, evidence that the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without a planchet between them during a misfeed — adding a die clash to the doubled die on this particular working die. The reverse carries a die scratch running from the upper E to the upper D in UNITED. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-002, with no additional cross-references known, this variety combines hub doubling and die clash evidence on a single die from the first year of peacetime cent production. Collectors examining this variety benefit from focusing on Lincoln's eye region under 10x magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References