1955 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Cataloged as the second reverse doubled die for the 1955 Lincoln wheat cent, DDR-002 exhibits medium spread on the lower wheat ears and OF AMERICA with light spread extending to E PLURIBUS UNUM — a dual-intensity doubling pattern suggesting the hub displacement produced maximum effect in the lower reverse regions and diminished toward the upper motto. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1851 and DMR-014, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where the reverse has reached late die state with a light horizontal die scratch developing behind the upper ear. The LDS designation for Stage C indicates advanced die wear, and the horizontal die scratch provides a late-stage diagnostic that distinguishes worn specimens from earlier strikes. The comments identify this as a proof variety, placing DDR-002 within the 1955 proof cent production struck at Philadelphia. Proof cents in 1955 came from a total proof set mintage of approximately 378,200 — a limited production pool that constrains the maximum population for any proof-only variety. Victor David Brenner's wheat reverse, in its penultimate full year before the 1959 transition to Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design, features the paired wheat ears framing ONE CENT that provide detailed organic surfaces where hub doubling manifests as displaced grain and stem detail. The medium spread on the lower wheat ears presents the strongest visual diagnostic, while the light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM requires more careful examination to confirm. Collectors should examine the wheat ear stems and the OF AMERICA letters under 10-15x magnification, using angled illumination to reveal the secondary impressions against the proof surface's reflective field.

Die Markers

• UVC-1851
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse is LDS
• Light horizontal die scratch behind upper ear – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ed Raser
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References