2019 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-030

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 2019 1c WDDO-030, this Lincoln Shield Cent displays a distinctive doubled die obverse with sloped extra thickness on LIBERTY, where the upper left branch of the Y is markedly thicker than the upper right branch — a diagnostic asymmetry produced by the hub displacement vector's interaction with the Y's diverging strokes, amplifying the doubling effect on the stroke that runs more parallel to the displacement direction. Extra vertical thickness is also visible on the date, most prominently on the digits 20, indicating the hub displacement had a strong vertical component that affected the lower portion of the die face where the date resides. Obverse die markers include a die dent at the rim well above and to the right of the nine in the date. The reverse exhibits substantial progressive die deterioration: a long die crack at the top left side of the shield and an additional die crack through the T of CENT — two structural failures that suggest this reverse die was experiencing significant wear and stress by the time these markers developed. The Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 2019 in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse Lincoln portrait, and Lyndall Bass designed the Shield reverse. The asymmetric thickening of the Y in LIBERTY provides one of the most visually intuitive doubled die diagnostics, as the unequal branch widths are readily apparent even at moderate magnification, making WDDO-030 accessible to collectors who may find more subtle doubled die characteristics challenging to identify confidently.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2019 1¢ WDDO-030
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References