1945 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-006

Description

Pronounced extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the left wheat stalk identifies this 1945 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die reverse, cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1677 and DMR-018. The die's progression is documented across three stages: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed), Stage B is mid-die state (MDS, unconfirmed), and Stage C shows both reverse and obverse reaching late die state (LDS). The wheat stalk doubling is particularly significant because the fine parallel lines of the wheat ears amplify even subtle hub misalignments into clearly visible doubled impressions. Struck during the final year of World War II, the 1945 Philadelphia Wheat Cent used the standard bronze composition — the Mint having returned from zinc-coated steel (1943) and recycled brass shell casings (1944) to the pre-war alloy. Victor David Brenner's wheat reverse, in continuous production since 1909, had by 1945 been in service for thirty-six years, and the accumulated die varieties across nearly four decades of production make Wheat Cents one of the richest fields for variety collectors. Six documented DDR varieties for the 1945 Philadelphia date alone demonstrates the depth of research applied to this wartime issue, where high production volumes and wartime manufacturing pressures contributed to die anomalies.

Die Markers

• UVC-1677
• DMR-018
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Baumann
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References