1909 VDDR VDDR-017

Description

Victor David Brenner's inaugural Lincoln Cent reverse — the beloved Wheat Ears design that would endure for half a century — serves as the canvas for VDDR-017, a doubled die reverse exhibiting light spread on TE of UNITED, F of OF, TA of STATES, and M of AMERICA. Die markers are tracked under provisional codes UVC-???? and DMR-0??, with three documented stages revealing progressive die deterioration: Stage A shows the reverse at Early-to-Mid Die State with a die crack running from the lapel to the rim at Late-Mid Die State; Stage B advances to Mid Die State with a die crack extending from the head to the rim through the E of WE at Late Die State; Stage C reaches Late Die State (unconfirmed). The reverse is identified as RDV-004 (Deep cut N, no V. D. B.) or RDV-003 (Shallow cut N, no V. D. B.), placing this variety on one of the reverse die variants used during the 1909 production run at Philadelphia. Cataloged by VarietyVista, VDDR-017 occupies a special position in the Lincoln Cent variety canon as a first-year doubled die, connecting the birth of America's longest-running coin design with systematic die variety research.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EMDS
• Die crack lapel to rim – LMDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse is MDS
• Die crack from head to rim through E of WE – LDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References