1983 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Third in the 1983 Philadelphia doubled die obverse series, DDO-003 shows a light spread on LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST, earning the Cherrypickers' Guide designation FS-103 (listing 035.2). While the spread is characterized as light — less pronounced than the strong doubling of DDO-001 or the medium spread of DDO-002 — its inclusion in the Fivaz-Stanton catalog confirms that the doubling is genuine hub doubling rather than the more common die deterioration doubling or machine doubling that can mimic true doubled die effects. Die markers UVC-2368 and DMR-004 identify this specific die within the universal variety cross-reference and doubled die master registry systems. Light-spread doubled dies require more careful examination than their stronger counterparts, and collectors typically need 5x to 10x magnification to confirm the presence of secondary design elements on the affected inscriptions. The doubling's manifestation on both LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST — inscriptions on opposite sides of the obverse — indicates a rotational or pivotal misalignment during hubbing that affected a broad arc of the die's working surface rather than a localized shift affecting only one region. All three FS-designated 1983 DDO varieties share the copper-plated zinc composition that became the sole Lincoln cent substrate from mid-1982 onward.

Die Markers

• UVC-2368; DMR-004

Attribution History

• FS-103

External References