1940 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as DDR-005, this 1940 Lincoln Wheat cent doubled die reverse shows extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the left wheat stalk. The coin weighs 3.1 grams, measures 19 mm in diameter, and is composed of 95% copper and 5% tin-and-zinc, struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the final years of the Great Depression. Tracked under Universal Variety Code UVC-1445 and Die Marker Reference DMR-010, the die progresses through three documented stages: Stage A at early die state where a long intermittent die gouge runs through E PLURIBUS UNUM with the obverse also in early die state, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The "long intermittent die gouge" through the entire motto is a remarkable die marker, as its intermittent character (appearing and disappearing as it crosses the letters and spaces) creates a distinctive start-stop pattern unlike a continuous scratch. The extra thickness on the left wheat stalk affects one of the most prominent design features of Victor David Brenner's reverse, where the parallel lines of the wheat ear kernels provide reference geometry against which even slight extra thickness becomes detectable. The 1940 Philadelphia Mint production of approximately 586 million cents marked a recovery from the extremely low Depression-era mintages of the early 1930s, reflecting the improving economy. This variety belongs to the Lincoln Wheat Cents 1909-1958 series, and DDR-005 represents one of multiple doubled die reverses documented from the 1940 date, a year that has proven productive for variety researchers examining pre-war cent production.

Die Markers

• UVC-1445
• DMR-010
• Stage A:
• Long intermittent die gouge through E PLURIBUS UNUM – EDS
• Obverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References