1937 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-012

Description

VarietyVista catalogs this 1937 Lincoln Wheat cent under UVC-1381 with die marker reference DMR-015, documenting a medium spread on GOD WE TRUST as the primary doubled die feature. The die pair progressed through at least three stages, each marking a distinct chapter in the die's working life. Stage A is an early die state that remains unconfirmed, presumably showing fresh die surfaces without fatigue indicators. Stage B, also unconfirmed, represents the mid-life condition. Stage C is the most extensively documented state: the obverse has reached late die state, and a die crack has developed from the upper right wheat grains to the rim on the reverse, continuing into very late die state territory as the crack widens and extends. This wheat-to-rim crack is the hallmark of Stage C and serves as a quick visual screen before magnified examination of the obverse doubling on GOD WE TRUST. The 1937 Philadelphia Wheat cent had a mintage of 309.179 million pieces. As DDO-012, this variety sits among a substantial inventory of doubled die obverses for 1937, reflecting the intensive study that Depression-era Wheat cents have received from the die variety research community over decades of systematic examination.

Die Markers

• UVC-1381
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die crack from upper Right wheat grains to rim – VLDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jose Cortez
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References