1958-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Carrying the primary obverse doubled die designation for the 1958-D Lincoln wheat cent, DDO-001 exhibits light spread on the lower portion of the B in LIBERTY and the upper curve of the 9 in the date. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait graced the cent obverse for the final full year of the wheat reverse design in 1958, as Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse would replace it the following year. Denver struck approximately 800.95 million cents in 1958, making it one of the higher-mintage D-mint wheat cent dates and ensuring extensive die consumption across the production run. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-1939 and DMR-027, with three documented die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces display mid die state characteristics, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B indicates that specimens showing moderate die wear have been examined and verified for this variety. A notable production comment records that the first hubbing on this die was extremely weak — meaning the initial hub impression transferred minimal design detail, requiring a second hubbing to complete the die but creating the misalignment opportunity that produced the doubled die effect. This weak first hubbing explains the light spread classification, as the faintly impressed primary image was largely overwritten by the stronger secondary impression, leaving only subtle traces of displacement visible on the lower B of LIBERTY and the upper 9 of the date. Collectors should use 15-20x magnification to examine these specific diagnostic zones.

Die Markers

• UVC-1939
• DMR-027
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by G. J. Lawson
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References