1970-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

One of the rarest major doubled die varieties in the entire Lincoln cent series, the 1970-S WDDO-001 listed under the Small Date parent represents a Class I clockwise spread doubled die of extraordinary strength. Only a few dozen specimens have been reported over the years, placing this variety in the upper echelon of Lincoln cent rarities alongside the celebrated 1955 and 1972 doubled dies. The doubling manifests as very strong spread on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date, with the clockwise rotational shift producing dramatic separation between the primary and secondary hub impressions that is visible without magnification on well-preserved examples. Cross-referenced extensively across attribution systems — CONECA 1-O-I, Cherrypickers' Guide FS-01-1970S-101 (029), Breen #2255, Crawford CDDO-001, and Coppercoins 1970S-1DO-001 — this variety's documentation trail reflects decades of scholarly attention from the numismatic community. The Cherrypickers' designation FS-01-1970S-101 marks it as a first-tier cherry-picking target, while Breen's inclusion in his comprehensive encyclopedia underscores its historical significance. Stage A die markers have been documented on the obverse, providing attribution anchor points for specialists examining potential specimens. The Small Date classification refers to the date logotype hub used for this obverse die — specifically ODV-026, which features a smaller, more compact arrangement of the four date digits compared to the Large Date hub ODV-025. Because the doubled die anomaly occurred during the hubbing of the working die rather than during the punching of the date logotype, WDDO-001 can theoretically appear with either date style, and both parent listings exist in the catalog. Collectors pursuing this variety should be aware that its extreme rarity makes authentication critical — any purported specimen warrants careful comparison against published die marker photographs. Die Markers: Obverse: Numerous die scratches run from SW to NE through the letters of WE and between WE and TRUST. A vertical die scratch can be found above the E in LIBERTY. A die scratch runs NE from the mint mark through the lower 7 and the upper left zero in the date. A die scratch runs from north to south below the chin. Reverse: A die scratch runs SE from the top right of the 2nd T in STATES to the top right of the 1st U in PLURIBUS. A short, diagonal die gouge can be found to the right of the top of the M in UNUM. A die gouge can be found to the left of the bottom of the T in CENT. A short die scratch runs from SSW to NNE in the field below the Memoial and left of the left post.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joseph Koelling Cross References: CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-01-1970S-101 (029), Breen: #2255, Crawford: CDDO-001, Coppercoins: 1970S-1DO-001 Comments: This is without doubt one of the rarest of the major Lincoln cent doubled die varieties. Only a few dozen specimens of this variety have been reported over the years.
• CONECA: 1-O-I, Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-01-1970S-101 (029), Breen: #2255, Crawford: CDDO-001, Coppercoins: 1970S-1DO-001 Comments: This is without doubt one of the rarest of the major Lincoln cent doubled die varieties. Only a few dozen specimens of this variety have been reported over the years.; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S 1¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References