1971 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Sharing the ODV-028 re-engraved tie die classification with DDO-003 but exhibiting a less pronounced degree of hub misalignment, DDO-004 on the 1971 Lincoln Memorial cent records light spread on the letters LIB of LIBERTY and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The "light" qualifier distinguishes this variety from DDO-003's medium spread, indicating that the primary and secondary hub impressions on DDO-004's die were more closely aligned — producing narrower separation between overlapping design elements that requires more careful magnified examination to resolve. Cataloged with die markers UVC-2272 and DMR-005, this variety's marker codes differ from DDO-003's UVC-2271/DMR-004, confirming that these are distinct physical dies despite both carrying the ODV-028 bowtie modification. The obverse is documented as ODV-028, linking it to the re-engraved tie obverse die variant that appears across multiple 1971 Philadelphia die varieties. The doubling on DDO-004 is concentrated in the upper portion of the obverse — LIB of LIBERTY near the rim and the IGWT motto above Lincoln's head — without extending to the date area as DDO-003 does, suggesting the hub displacement geometry affected the die's upper zones more than its lower regions. Light doubled dies represent a detection challenge that separates experienced variety collectors from casual examiners: the doubled design edges may appear as slightly thickened letter strokes rather than the clearly separated secondary images visible on stronger varieties, requiring both appropriate magnification and familiarity with what undoubled Philadelphia specimens look like for baseline comparison.

Die Markers

• UVC-2272; DMR-005

External References