1988 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

With close spread limited to the date, WDDO-005 on the 1988 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent falls at the subtle end of the Wexler doubled die spectrum for this year. The restricted zone of visible doubling — affecting only the date numerals — indicates minimal hub misalignment during die manufacture, with the offset too slight to produce detectable separation on design elements farther from the doubling epicenter. On the obverse, a small gouge to the right of Lincoln's bust serves as the primary die marker. The reverse provides the more distinctive attribution point: a strong gouge positioned below the second A in AMERICA. This reverse gouge, described as strong in the attribution documentation, likely represents a significant depression in the die face that transferred as a raised bump on every coin from this die, making it a reliable identification feature even on moderately circulated specimens where the subtle date doubling may have softened through wear. Attributed by the Wexler Team, WDDO-005 demonstrates that even modest doubled dies receive formal cataloging when they can be confirmed through the systematic examination process and distinguished from all previously documented varieties. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1988 1¢ WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References