1955 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-007

Description

While the 1955 Lincoln wheat cent is famous for its dramatic DDO-001 — one of the most celebrated doubled dies in all of American numismatics — DDO-007 represents a separate and more subtle doubled die obverse from the same year, this one struck as a proof at the Philadelphia Mint. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-1846 and DMR-009, documenting light spread with division lines on IN GOD WE TRUST and light extra thickness on the date numerals. The "Proof" notation confirms this die was used in proof production, where specially prepared planchets and polished dies created mirror-finish coins sold to collectors rather than released into circulation. Three die stages are recorded: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces have reached mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B establishes that specimens with moderate die wear characteristics have been examined and verified. Philadelphia's 1955 proof production totaled approximately 378,200 sets, a dramatically smaller figure than the hundreds of millions of business strike cents produced that year. Light spread with division lines — where the doubling creates visible separation channels within the letter strokes — affects the motto IN GOD WE TRUST along the upper obverse rim, while the date shows light extra thickness indicating the secondary hub impression marginally displaced the numerals. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, in its penultimate year before the 1958 wheat reverse finale, provides the canvas for this subtle proof doubled die. Collectors examining proof 1955 cents should use 15-20x magnification on the IGWT letters, looking for the fine division lines that bisect the letter strokes.

Die Markers

• UVC-1846
• DMR-009
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References