1958 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

In the final year of Victor David Brenner's iconic wheat ears reverse, the 1958 Lincoln cent WDDO-002 preserves hub doubling on its obverse die, attributed by the Wexler Team under the designation 1958 1¢ WDDO-002. No additional cross-references in the CONECA or Fivaz-Stanton systems have been established for this variety. The 1958 date holds particular significance for wheat cent collectors as the swan song of a design that had been in continuous production since 1909, spanning nearly half a century and two world wars. Philadelphia struck 252.5 million cents that year, a modest figure compared to the billion-plus runs that would characterize later decades. Hub doubling on the obverse would affect elements of the Lincoln portrait, the legends IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY, and the date, though the specific spread direction and affected elements should be confirmed through direct examination under magnification. As WDDO-002, this represents the second doubled die obverse attributed for the 1958 Philadelphia issue, indicating that at least two distinct obverse dies with hub doubling were used during that year's production. Wheat cent varieties from the final years of the series (1955-1958) attract particular collector attention because the design's imminent replacement in 1959 creates a natural endpoint for set builders, and any die variety from these terminal dates carries the cachet of representing the last generation of a beloved American coin design. Examination under 10x magnification focused on the date numerals and LIBERTY letters typically reveals the doubling most clearly.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1958 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References