1970-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-032

Description

Closing the current documented range of Wexler doubled die obverses for the 1970-S Lincoln Memorial cent, WDDO-032 appears in the Large Date classification and represents the thirty-second distinct doubled die obverse die cataloged for this single date and mintmark combination. That the Wexler catalog has reached this number for 1970-S alone is a testament to the extraordinary concentration of hub doubling events that occurred during San Francisco's die production for this year — a concentration driven by the intersection of high die demand, the mechanical realities of the hubbing process, and the systematic scrutiny that variety collectors have applied to this date over decades. No cross-references to CONECA, Crawford, or Coppercoins have been published for WDDO-032, placing it exclusively within the Wexler attribution framework. The Large Date variety, distinguished by its tall 7 and angular 9 in the date, was the more commonly produced of the two 1970-S date configurations, and its greater representation in surviving cent populations means that cherry-pickers focusing on Large Date coins have access to a larger search pool. However, the higher-numbered WDDOs in any catalog sequence tend to exhibit subtler doubling than the earlier listings — the most dramatic varieties are typically discovered and cataloged first, while subsequent additions often document progressively less pronounced hub displacement. This pattern means WDDO-032 likely requires careful magnified examination and precise die marker comparison against Wexler's reference photographs for reliable identification. Collectors pursuing a complete 1970-S doubled die set will find WDDO-032 among the most challenging acquisitions, combining subtle attribution criteria with the inherent difficulty of locating specific varieties deep in a crowded catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Conway Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S 1¢ WDDO-032
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References