1942 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-009

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-2576 with die markers reference DMR-020, DDR-009 for the 1942 Lincoln wheat cent presents an unusual combination: strong spread but light hubbing directed to the north on specific reverse letter groups — CE of CENT, ED of UNITED, STAT of STATES, and AMERICA. The light hubbing qualification indicates that while the displacement between primary and secondary images is substantial, the secondary impression was struck with reduced pressure, producing a fainter doubled image than the spread magnitude would normally generate. This characteristic can make the variety appear less dramatic than its spread classification suggests, requiring careful examination under oblique lighting to bring the secondary letters into full visibility. Stage A at early die state is confirmed with both reverse and obverse presenting in their freshest condition, while Stages B and C at mid and late die state remain unconfirmed. The 1942 Philadelphia Lincoln cent had a mintage of 657,828,600, a massive wartime output that preceded the 1943 zinc-coated steel cent experiment. Victor David Brenner's wheat ear reverse, with its simple architectural frame of two wheat stalks flanking the inscriptions, concentrates letter detail in a compact space where northward-directed doubling on CENT and the upper legend creates a distinctive stepped appearance along the tops of the affected letters. The partial coverage pattern — catching CE but not the full word CENT, ED but not all of UNITED — maps the geometric intersection of the spread vector with the curved inscription layout, providing insight into the precise angle and magnitude of the hub misalignment that produced this die.

Die Markers

• UVC-2576
• DMR-020
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Piazza
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References