1942-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Struck at the Denver Mint during wartime production, this 1942-D Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-004 exhibits light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST and the upper hairline of Lincoln's portrait, with very light spread on the 42 digits of the date. The graduated intensity — light on the motto and hairline, diminishing to very light on the date — suggests hub displacement strongest near the top of the die that tapered toward lower design elements. Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-1539 and DMR-018, the variety is documented in Stage A where both obverse and reverse are in early to mid die state. The 1942-D Lincoln Cent was one of the final issues struck in standard bronze alloy before the Mint switched to zinc-coated steel planchets in 1943 to conserve copper for military use. Denver's 1942 cent production ramped up dramatically to meet circulation demands during wartime economic expansion, and DDO-004 documents a hub alignment error within that accelerated manufacturing environment. The hairline doubling is particularly useful for attribution because Lincoln's hair detail provides fine parallel reference lines against which even subtle displacement becomes visible.

Die Markers

• UVC-1539
• DMR-018
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EMDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Franzen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References