1909 VDDR VDDR-042

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as VDDR-042, this 1909 Lincoln Wheat Cent — from the inaugural year of the Lincoln Cent series — displays light spread on the TE of UNITED, the F of OF, the TA of STATES, and the M of AMERICA on the reverse. The scattered distribution of affected letters across multiple words, with only portions of each word showing doubling, maps the specific geometry of the hub displacement relative to individual letter positions on the die face. Three die stages are documented: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B in early-to-mid die state with the reverse at EMDS, a die crack from the shoulder to the rim, and a die clash at the throat and in front of the date on the obverse, and Stage C in late die state (unconfirmed). Critical commentary identifies this die as using reverse die variety RDV-004 (Deep cut N, no V.D.B.) or RDV-003 (Shallow cut N, no V.D.B.) — reverse master die variants created after the controversial V.D.B. initials were removed from the reverse following public criticism shortly after the coin\'s August 1909 release. The shoulder die crack is noted as slightly farther west than VDDR-041, and this variety shares the same obverse die as VDDR-052 in a slightly later die state but without the reverse die crack — die linkage information that maps the production sequence of these related varieties. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1909, the coin is composed of 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams at 19.05 mm. Victor David Brenner\'s Lincoln portrait debuted that year, and the V.D.B. removal history makes the reverse die variety designation a significant attribution detail for this first-year issue.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse is EMDS
• Die crack shoulder to rim – EMDS
• Die clash at throat and in front of date
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Blaine Neupert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References