1959-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005

Description

A close spread towards the center on the designer's initials FG distinguishes this fifth doubled die reverse for the 1959-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, the inaugural year of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse that replaced the longstanding Wheat Ears design. Attribution relies on several precise die markers: on the obverse, a small die gouge sits to the right of the Y in LIBERTY, while the reverse carries a light die scratch running ENE from the top right of the T in CENT and a nearly vertical die scratch to the left of the center of the first Memorial column. These die-specific features ensure that WDDR-005 can be distinguished from the other doubled die reverses cataloged for this date. Denver struck approximately 1.28 billion cents in 1959, an enormous output as the new Memorial design entered production, consuming hundreds of die pairs across the run. The close spread towards center is characteristic of a hub rotation or tilt during die manufacture, and its appearance on the designer's initials makes it a focused diagnostic requiring careful magnification to confirm.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A small die gouge can be found to the right of the Y in LIBERTY. Reverse: A light die scratch runs ENE from the top right of the T in CENT. A nearly vertical die scratch can be found to the left of the center of the first Memorial column.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References