1909 VDDR VDDR-023

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as VDDR-023, this doubled die reverse variety appears on a 1909 V.D.B. Lincoln Wheat cent, one of the most iconic coins in American numismatics. The 1909 V.D.B. cent marked the debut of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait design, initially bearing the designer's initials prominently on the reverse near the bottom rim. The coin was struck in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter. The doubling on VDDR-023 shows as a light spread on TE of UNITED, the F of OF, TA of STATES, and M of AMERICA, all on the reverse side. While the Universal Variety Code and Die Marker Reference numbers remain unassigned (UVC-???? and DMR-0??), three die states have been documented: Stage A with both reverse and obverse at early die state, Stage B with both at mid die state, and Stage C with both at late die state (unconfirmed). VarietyVista notes that the reverse die is either RDV-004 (deep cut N, no V.D.B.) or RDV-003 (shallow cut N, no V.D.B.), indicating this particular reverse die was prepared after the V.D.B. initials were removed from the master die in response to public criticism of their prominence. This is described as a generic listing for coins sharing the same die state characteristics on both sides. The 1909 V.D.B. cent from Philadelphia had a mintage of 27,995,000, and while the coin itself is common, specific doubled die reverse varieties add collectibility and value for variety specialists who focus on the inaugural year of this landmark American coin design that has remained in continuous production for over a century.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Blaine Neupert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References