2006 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-014

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 2006 1-cent WDDO-014, this Lincoln Memorial Cent doubled die obverse shows extra thickness on the date and "LIBERTY" with notching on the upper left portions of "ERTY." The "notching" effect — where the doubling creates step-like irregularities on the letter edges — is characteristic of close-spread hub doubling where the secondary impression lands nearly atop the primary but with just enough offset to disrupt the smooth contour of the letterforms. No significant obverse die markers were noted, but the reverse provides three attribution points: a small die gouge near the rim above the U in "UNITED" and two small die chips on the upper portion of the second column of the Lincoln Memorial. These reverse markers are particularly valuable because they can be checked on any specimen without first locating the sometimes-subtle obverse doubling, allowing efficient screening of candidate coins. With no other known cross-references, WDDO-014 stands as an independent Wexler listing. The 2006 Lincoln Memorial Cent was in the final years of the Memorial reverse — only three more years of this design remained before the 2009 Bicentennial reverses and the 2010 Union Shield replaced Frank Gasparro's iconic 1959 creation. Philadelphia and Denver combined to produce over 7.6 billion cents in 2006, and fourteen documented doubled die obverses for the date reflects the scale of variety potential inherent in such massive production. The die chips on the second column of the Memorial are a common deterioration pattern on late-era Memorial Cent dies, where the fine architectural details in the column area are susceptible to progressive breakdown under repeated striking pressure.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2006 1¢ WDDO-014
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References