1955 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-011

Description

While the famous 1955 DDO-001 commands prices in the tens of thousands, WDDO-011 represents one of the many lesser-known doubled die obverses from the same Philadelphia wheat cent production year, each documenting a separate hub-doubling event on a distinct working die. The characteristic extra eyelid appears below Lincoln's normal eyelid, confirming the portrait displacement diagnostic. On the reverse, a die scratch connects the upper I and B in PLURIBUS, providing an independent die marker that distinguishes this working die from the numerous other 1955 doubled dies. The cross-reference notes list 1955 1c WDDO-012 as a related variety, suggesting possible shared hub ancestry or similar doubling characteristics that require careful comparison to differentiate. The Wexler Team cataloged this as Wexler Variety ID: 1955 1c WDDO-011, with no significant obverse die markers noted. Philadelphia produced approximately 330.6 million wheat cents in 1955, generating a substantial number of working dies across the production year. The die scratch connecting I and B in PLURIBUS provides a particularly efficient screening tool for this variety — a linear mark linking two specific letters creates an unmistakable fingerprint that can be identified without the magnification needed for the eyelid doubling examination. Once the reverse die marker confirms the die identity, the extra eyelid observation on the obverse completes the attribution. The relationship to WDDO-012 invites collectors to examine both varieties side by side to understand their distinguishing features.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jay Painter Cross References: None known 1955 1¢ WDDO-012
• None known 1955 1¢ WDDO-012; Wexler Variety ID: 1955 1¢ WDDO-011
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References