1972-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

A regular strike San Francisco Mint variety, 1972-S WDDO-005 exhibits a very close Class I clockwise spread visible on the letters of LIBERTY, the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST, and very slightly on the date. The subtle involvement of the date — described as "very slightly" — distinguishes this variety from WDDO-001 (which shows clear date doubling) and places it in the category of minor doubled dies that require careful examination for confirmation. The obverse die markers are notably extensive, providing abundant confirmation points: a short, vertical die gouge to the left of the center of the I of IN; a short, diagonal die scratch below the right side of the B in LIBERTY; a short, curving die scratch below and between the E and R of LIBERTY; and a die scratch running from south-southwest to north-northeast midway between GOD and WE. These four obverse markers, distributed across the full width of the legend area, create a reliable identification framework that allows collectors to screen candidates efficiently. On the reverse, the die carries equally distinctive features: a die gouge touching the bottom of the second U in PLURIBUS; a short, vertical die scratch inside the center of the C in AMERICA; a small die gouge (dot) under the right end of the Memorial; and a small die gouge at the bottom inside of the O in ONE. The PLURIBUS gouge is particularly noteworthy as a quick-screening diagnostic, since collectors can rapidly check this area under low magnification before investing time in the more demanding examination of LIBERTY doubling. The combination of Class I CW doubling on this regular strike S-mint cent with the comprehensive die marker documentation makes WDDO-005 a variety that rewards systematic, methodical searching through 1972-S mint set cents.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A short, vertical die gouge can be found to the left of the center of the I of IN. A short, diagonal die scratch can be found below the right side of the B in LIBERTY. A short, curving die scratch can be found below and between the E and R of LIBERTY. A die scratch runs from SSW to NNE midway between GOD and WE. Reverse: A die gouge touches the bottom of the 2nd U in PLURIBUS. A short, vertical die scratch can be found inside the center of the C in AMERICA. A small die gouge (dot) can be found under the right end of the Memorial. A small die gouge can be found at the bottom inside of the O in ONE.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References