1955 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

While the 1955 Lincoln wheat cent is forever associated with the famous DDO-001 — one of the most dramatic doubled dies in all of American numismatics — DDO-006 represents a separate and distinct hub doubling event on Victor David Brenner's obverse, showing medium spread on IN GOD WE TRUST with light spread extending to the date. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-1845 and DMR-008, recording three die stages: Stage A where the obverse is at early die state with strong die scratches visible on the rim above RIB of PLURIBUS on the reverse; Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed); and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The EDS die scratches above PLURIBUS provide a critical secondary diagnostic that helps authenticate the specific working die independently of the doubling itself. A proof attribution is noted in the comments, indicating this variety appears on 1955 proof cents struck at Philadelphia — a significant distinction because proof dies received different preparation and typically produced far fewer coins than business strike dies, potentially making proof doubled dies scarcer than their circulation counterparts. Philadelphia struck approximately 378,200 proof sets in 1955, a modest number compared to business strike production of over 330 million cents. Collectors should examine the motto IN GOD WE TRUST under 10-15x magnification, where medium spread will present as clearly displaced secondary letterforms, then check the date for the lighter spread that confirms the doubling extends beyond the motto alone. The proof surface should show mirror-like fields that distinguish it from business strikes.

Die Markers

• UVC-1845
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Strong die scratches on rim above RIB of PLURIBUS – EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References