2010 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005

Description

Fifth in the Wexler-documented obverse doubled die census for the 2010 Lincoln Shield cent, WDDO-005 shows extra thickness on the digits of the date — V.D. Brenner's obverse portrait paired with the new Union Shield reverse that Lyndall Bass designed for the Shield cent series beginning in 2010. The Wexler Team recorded no significant obverse die markers beyond the doubling itself, but the reverse carries a distinctive diagnostic: a die chip on the top left of the shield directly north of the LU in PLURIBUS. Die chips — small fragments of metal that break away from the die surface, leaving raised bumps on struck coins — provide excellent secondary confirmation points because they are unique to individual dies and cannot be replicated by die deterioration or striking anomalies. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.96 billion Shield cents in 2010, the inaugural year of the design, consuming significant numbers of working dies during the production ramp-up for the new type. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 2010 1¢ WDDO-005, with no additional attribution system listings currently known. Extra thickness on the date digits — 2, 0, 1, and 0 — indicates the secondary hub impression landed very close to the primary position, thickening the numeral strokes rather than creating visibly separated doubled images. Collectors should first locate the die chip north of LU on the reverse to confirm the correct die, then examine the date digits under 10-15x magnification using oblique lighting to reveal the enhanced thickness compared to normally struck 2010 Shield cents. The combination of obverse doubling and reverse die chip gives this variety two independent diagnostic features that together provide confident attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Dean M. Hengst Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2010 1¢ WDDO-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References