2021 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-013

Description

Extra thickness on the word LIBERTY — particularly noticeable on the upper-left versus upper-right serifs of the Y — identifies this thirteenth Wexler-cataloged doubled die obverse for the 2021 Lincoln Shield Cent. Doubled die varieties form during the hubbing process, when a working hub impresses the design into a working die. If the hub and die separate and are then re-engaged at a slightly different angle or position, the second impression overlaps the first imperfectly, leaving traces of doubling frozen into the die steel. Every coin subsequently struck from that die carries the identical doubling, distinguishing hub doubling from mechanical doubling (which varies strike to strike). WDDO-013 is confirmed by specific die markers: an obverse die gouge below the G in GOD and a reverse die chip on the top left of the shield northeast of the E in E PLURIBUS UNUM. These markers anchor the attribution to a single die pair. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 2021 1-cent WDDO-013 with no other known cross-references, this variety was documented by the Wexler Team. The 2021 Shield Cent continued the Union Shield reverse introduced in 2010, and Philadelphia's high-volume production that year generated numerous die pairs, each carrying an independent chance of hubbing misalignment. Collectors searching 2021-P cent rolls for doubled dies can use the LIBERTY thickness and the G-in-GOD gouge as primary diagnostics.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wilbert Anderson Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2021 1¢ WDDO-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References