1946 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-012

Description

Under the Wexler designation 1946 1¢ WDDO-012, this doubled die obverse reflects the prodigious die output required to strike nearly one billion cents at Philadelphia in 1946. Every working die began as a featureless steel cylinder, received its design through multiple hub impressions, and was installed in a press to produce tens of thousands of cents before replacement. The multi-impression technique made doubled dies a statistical inevitability across high-mintage dates, and 1946 has proven exceptionally fertile for such discoveries. The shell-case brass composition — 95% copper, 5% zinc — came from recycled military cartridge casings, a wartime expedient maintained through 1946. Brenner's Lincoln portrait, now in its 37th year, provided the design on which doubling could manifest across various elements: IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the date, or bust details. The Wexler numbering assigns each variety a sequential identifier based on order of discovery, meaning WDDO-012 was the twelfth distinct DDO confirmed for this date. Post-war America under Truman was a nation rebuilding, and these cents were its smallest denomination of change.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1946 1¢ WDDO-012
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References