1909 VDDR VDDR-027

Description

Twenty-seventh in the documented sequence of doubled die reverses for the inaugural 1909 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety shows light spread on TE of UNITED, F of OF, TA of STATES, and M of AMERICA — the identical lettering positions affected on the related VDDR-026, but from a different die. The reverse die variety is identified as either RDV-004 (Deep cut N, no V.D.B.) or RDV-003 (Shallow cut N, no V.D.B.), indicating the variety appears on cents without Victor David Brenner's controversial initials that were removed partway through 1909 production. VarietyVista lists unassigned UVC and DMR numbers (shown as "????"), signaling incomplete cataloging. Stage A documents the reverse in Early Die State, with a die crack developing from the head to the rim east of WE at Mid Die State — note this differs from VDDR-026, whose crack runs east of IN rather than WE, confirming these are distinct dies with different crack propagation patterns. Stages B and C remain unconfirmed. The 1909 Lincoln Cent is one of the most studied dates in American numismatics, as the first year of a design that would continue for over a century. The two reverse design variants (RDV-003 and RDV-004) reflect the use of multiple master hubs in 1909, distinguished by the depth of the N cutting, adding a layer of classification complexity that makes 1909 DDR research particularly demanding.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EDS
• Die crack head to rim East of WE – MDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Blaine Neupert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References