1944-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

The primary doubled die reverse for the 1944-S Lincoln Wheat Cent, the DDR-001 exhibits extreme extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the wheat ears — a doubling intensity described as "extreme" that places this among the most visually dramatic reverse varieties for the wartime-era cent. Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-1652 with die marriage reference DMR-020, the mint mark is listed as MMS-005 (Straight Serifs style) and is positioned high relative to the standard location. Three die states track the die's progression: Stage A in early die state and Stage B in mid-die state both remain unconfirmed, while Stage C confirms both reverse and obverse in late die state. The 1944-S Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint using brass composition derived from recycled military shell casings, continuing the wartime alloy substitution through 1946. As DDR-001, this variety holds the top-ranked position for reverse hub doubling on the 1944-S date, and the extreme thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the wheat ears makes this one of the more easily detected doubled die reverses in the wartime Lincoln Cent series. The Straight Serifs mint mark style and high placement provide additional diagnostics that connect this variety to a specific mint mark punch and die preparation sequence at the San Francisco Mint.

Die Markers

• UVC-1652
• DMR-020
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References