1954-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Listed by the Wexler Team with no other known cross-references, WDDO-004 on the 1954-D Lincoln wheat cent presents one of the more visually arresting diagnostic features: a tripled eyelid. Two extra eyelid impressions can be found below Lincoln's normal eyelid, indicating at least three hub impressions struck the die with progressive downward displacement on each pass. A tripled feature is fundamentally rarer than a doubled feature because it requires three detectable hub impressions rather than two, with each impression offset enough to produce a visible separate image. The obverse shows a strong die clash to the right of the throat — evidence that this die pair made contact without an intervening planchet — and SW/NE die scratches can be found to the left of the bust. The reverse contributes a strong die clash between the lower C and E in CENT, plus a die scratch running parallel to the rim throughout most of the reverse. The dual presence of die clashes on both sides confirms this die pair experienced at least one clashing event, leaving transferred design ghosts on each die. Denver struck over 251 million cents in 1954, the penultimate year of the wheat cent reverse. For cherry-pickers, the triple eyelid serves as the ideal pickup point: it is localized, dramatic, and can be spotted with a loupe without examining the entire coin surface.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1954-D 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References