1955 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the upper wheat ears, strongest on the right wheat stalk, identifies this 1955 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die reverse — and notably, this is a proof issue. VarietyVista documents a complex die history with two distinct die pairings: UVC-1853/DMR-016 covers Stages A (unconfirmed EDS) and B (both reverse and obverse in MDS), while UVC-2516/DMR-020 covers Stage C where the reverse is in Late-Mid Die State with a reverse die change, and the obverse is listed as DDO-008. This Stage C cross-listing to DDO-008 means that in its final documented die state, this reverse die was paired with a doubled die obverse — creating a DDO/DDR combination coin. The proof designation is significant: 1955 proof cents were struck at the Philadelphia Mint on specially prepared planchets with polished dies, and doubled dies on proof coinage are considerably scarcer than on business strikes because proof dies were used for far fewer impressions. The 1955 date looms large in Lincoln Cent collecting as the year of the famous 1955 Doubled Die Obverse — the most valuable and recognizable doubled die in American numismatics — though DDR-005 is an independent variety on an entirely different die pair. The presence of a proof doubled die reverse that crosses over to a doubled die obverse in late die state makes this a particularly complex and desirable variety for advanced specialists.

Die Markers

• UVC-1853
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• UVC-2516
• DMR-020
• Stage C:
• Reverse is LMDS
• Reverse die changed – MDS
• Obverse is LISTED as DDO-008

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Lumpkin
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References