1968 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

The second doubled die obverse cataloged for the 1968 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln cent, DDO-002 displays a medium spread on IN GOD WE TRUST, the national motto inscribed along the upper obverse rim. A medium spread indicates that the displacement between the two hub impressions is moderate — detectable under 5x to 10x magnification as a distinct shadow or shelf alongside the affected letters, but not so dramatic as to be visible to the unaided eye in most cases. The IN GOD WE TRUST legend is one of the most common locations for observable doubled die obverse effects on Lincoln Memorial cents because the letters occupy a zone where even small angular or positional shifts between hub impressions produce detectable doubling. The 1968 Philadelphia cent is particularly noteworthy in the Lincoln cent series because it was the first Philadelphia issue after the three-year Coinage Act of 1965 era during which all cents were struck without mint marks at Philadelphia; from 1965 through 1967, Philadelphia cents carried no mint mark, a practice that continued in 1968 and afterward (Philadelphia cents did not receive a P mint mark until 2017). However, 1968 was the year that Denver and San Francisco resumed using their respective mint marks, restoring the multi-facility identification system that had been suspended. Die markers UVC-2204 and DMR-003 are recorded for this variety. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc at the Philadelphia Mint.

Die Markers

• UVC-2204; DMR-003

External References