1947-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Light hub doubling on WE TRUST and the date, combined with distinctive die scratches and a documented mintmark style, makes this fourth doubled die obverse for the 1947-S Lincoln Wheat Cent a particularly well-attributed variety. Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1763, DMR-014, the die stage progression is notable: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B showing north-south die scratches through the 19 of the date and above RTY of LIBERTY, plus a strong die scratch running north from the second T of STATES (all at mid die state), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The mintmark is identified as MMS-007 (sans serif), a specific mintmark punch style designation that helps researchers link this die to others that used the same S punch. The San Francisco Mint struck over 99 million cents in 1947, a robust post-war mintage that reflected the return to normal production volumes after wartime disruptions. The S mintmark, hand-punched into each working die individually during this era, varied in style between punch sets — and the sans-serif designation of MMS-007 distinguishes this punch from serif and other S punch varieties used at San Francisco. Light doubling on WE TRUST and the date indicates a relatively minor hub misalignment, producing effects that require careful magnification to confirm but that are diagnostically consistent across all coins struck from this die.

Die Markers

• UVC-1763
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die scratches North-South through 19 of date and above RTY of LIBERTY – MDS
• Strong die scratch North from second T of STATES – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References