1970-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-020

Description

Twentieth in the Wexler DDO sequence for the 1970-D Lincoln Memorial cent, WDDO-020 extends a catalog that by this point has established the 1970-D date as one of the most variety-rich in the entire Lincoln cent series. With no known cross-references to other published attribution services, this variety's identity rests on Wexler's documented die markers and doubling characteristics. The steady accumulation of confirmed DDO dies — twenty and counting at this point in the catalog — underscores an important principle in numismatic variety research: each variety represents a physically distinct working die that was prepared, installed in a coining press, and used to strike some number of cents before being retired. Twenty separate doubled dies means twenty separate hubbing errors occurred during die manufacture, each producing a unique working die that contributed coins to the 1970-D cent population. For the practical cherry-picker, this abundance presents both opportunity and challenge. The opportunity lies in the statistical likelihood that any given bag or roll of 1970-D cents may contain specimens from multiple DDO dies, making productive searching quite feasible. The challenge is that with so many distinct varieties sharing the same date and mintmark, definitive attribution requires careful comparison of die markers rather than reliance on the doubling pattern alone. A magnification of 10x to 20x focused on the date area — particularly the crossbar of the 7 — provides the most efficient initial screening for doubled die characteristics on 1970-D cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-D 1¢ WDDO-020
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References