1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-008

Description

Struck on the shell-casing brass composition adopted after the 1943 zinc-coated steel emergency issue, the 1944 DDO-008 Lincoln wheat cent exhibits light spread with a strong southward hubbing visible as an extra eyelid below Lincoln's eye. The extra eyelid diagnostic is among the most recognizable doubled die features in the wheat cent series, arising when the hub's slight vertical displacement duplicates the fine engraved line of the eyelid into a distinct secondary arc. Cataloged under UVC-2798 / DMR-012 by VarietyVista, die stages progress from Early Die State (Stage A, unconfirmed) through Mid Die State (Stage B, unconfirmed) to Late Die State (Stage C, both obverse and reverse). Although the overall spread is classified as light, the strong secondary eyelid impression stands out because Lincoln's facial detail is rendered in fine relief that amplifies even modest hub shifts. The 1944 cent's wartime brass alloy — recycled from spent cartridge cases — gives the planchet a slightly different color tone than pre-war and post-war copper cents, adding historical context to this variety.

Die Markers

• UVC-2798
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Rock Hasenberg
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References