1909 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-004

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1909 1c WDDR-004 and cross-referenced as Coppercoins 1909P-1DR-005, this Lincoln Wheat Cent displays a very close Class II (Distorted Hub Doubling) spread toward the center on the lower left wheat ear and stem, and also on the upper right wheat ear. The center-directed convergent doubling produces visible displacement on the interior sides of the affected wheat ear elements, where the secondary hub impression shifted inward relative to the primary. Notably, this variety carries the V.D.B. reverse — the famous initials of designer Victor David Brenner that appeared on the first Lincoln Cents issued in mid-1909 before being removed later that year due to public complaints about their prominence, making this a V.D.B. variety with doubled die characteristics. Obverse die markers include a short wavy die scratch running east to west just below the front tip of the bust, and a die scratch on the first fold in the vest to the west of the date. The reverse exhibits a series of north-to-south curving die scratches running through the N of CENT. The 1909 Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm. The 1909 V.D.B. cent is one of the most iconic coins in American numismatics, and doubled die varieties on V.D.B. specimens add variety collecting interest to an already significant type coin. The Coppercoins cross-reference confirms independent documentation under the older cataloging framework, while the Wexler designation provides the current standard catalog number.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: Coppercoins: 1909P-1DR-005
• Coppercoins: 1909P-1DR-005; Wexler Variety ID: 1909 1¢ WDDR-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References