1909 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-020

Description

Moderate extra thickness spread toward the center defines WDDR-020 on the inaugural 1909 Lincoln Wheat Cent, affecting the letters of E PLURIBUS UNUM, the dots, both wheat ears, and the right wheat stem. Cross-referenced as Coppercoins 1909P-1DR-002 and Wexler Variety ID 1909 1-cent WDDR-020, the dual attribution across both the Coppercoins and Wexler systems confirms independent recognition of this variety's significance. The reverse die markers include nearly vertical die scratches to the left of the C in CENT — tooling marks that serve as a quick confirmatory diagnostic after the hub doubling itself has been identified. No significant obverse die markers were noted. Attributed by the Wexler Team, this variety carries the distinction of appearing on the first year of one of America's longest-running coin designs. Philadelphia struck 72,702,618 Lincoln Cents in 1909, a year that saw the introduction of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait replacing the Indian Head design — a momentous transition that drew both public fascination and controversy over Brenner's prominent VDB initials. The moderate extra thickness spread toward center is a Class VI distortion doubling characteristic, where the hub impression enlarged rather than shifted, producing bolder-than-normal lettering and design elements rather than separated secondary images. First-year varieties consistently attract premium collector interest due to the historical significance of the design's debut.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Daniel Griffin Cross References: Coppercoins: 1909P-1DR-002
• Coppercoins: 1909P-1DR-002; Wexler Variety ID: 1909 1¢ WDDR-020
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References