1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-007

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1552 and DMR-008, DDO-007 on the 1943 Lincoln Wheat Cent exhibits a strong spread south that manifests as a lightly hubbed extra eyelid below Lincoln's eye — one of the most visually intuitive doubled die diagnostics on the Lincoln Cent series, as the human eye naturally focuses on facial features when examining portraits. This is a companion variety die: the reverse is also listed as DDR-007, meaning this working die pair carries independently cataloged doubling on both sides. Three die stages have been documented — Stage A shows the obverse in early die state with the reverse at early-to-mid die state, where a die crack runs from the right leg of the second U of PLURIBUS south to the right leg of the N of CENT. Stage B in mid die state and Stage C in late die state both remain unconfirmed. The 1943 Lincoln Cent is historically significant as one of only three years (1943) when the cent was struck on zinc-coated steel planchets weighing 2.70 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm, as the standard copper composition was diverted to wartime ammunition production during World War II. These steel cents are magnetically attracted, a property unique in United States coinage history, and their zinc coating is prone to corrosion that can obscure fine die variety diagnostics. The VarietyVista commentary notes the need for additional specimens to document color photos and die stage information, indicating ongoing research into this variety. Examination should focus on the eye area under 10x magnification where the extra eyelid appears as a distinct secondary arc below the primary lid line.

Die Markers

• UVC-1552
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-007 – EMDS
• Die crack from Right leg of the second U of PLURIBUS South to the Right leg of the N of CENT
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jose Cortez
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References