1946-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-012

Description

Twelfth in the Wexler catalog for 1946-S wheat cent doubled die obverses, WDDO-012 documents yet another hub doubling event from the first post-war production year at San Francisco. Carrying Wexler Variety ID: 1946-S 1¢ WDDO-012, this variety was authenticated by the Wexler Team and added to their comprehensive die study database. San Francisco struck 198,100,000 cents in 1946, returning to the standard brass alloy (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) after years of wartime shell-case composition. The transition back to standard alloy involved recalibrating die impressions for the different metal hardness and flow characteristics, and this adjustment period may have contributed to the frequency of hub doubling events on 1946-S dies. Twelve documented DDO varieties for a single date-mintmark speaks to the thoroughness of modern die study research, which has expanded dramatically since the Wexler cataloging system was established. Each of these twelve varieties carries a unique combination of spread direction, affected design elements, and secondary hub displacement magnitude that defines its identity within the catalog. Collectors pursuing the 1946-S DDO family should note that post-war S-mint cents were saved in smaller quantities by contemporary collectors than comparable Philadelphia or Denver issues, potentially making Mint State specimens of any 1946-S variety somewhat less frequently encountered than their mintage might suggest.

Attribution History

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

External References