1988 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-005

Description

Returning to the strong-spread category, DDO-005 on the 1988 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent exhibits pronounced doubling on the date and lower lapel of Lincoln's coat. The involvement of the lapel — a design element located well below the date on Lincoln's bust — indicates that the hub rotation affected a substantial vertical zone of the obverse die during manufacture, extending the visible separation from the date area downward through the lower portrait. Lapel doubling is particularly useful as a diagnostic because the coat detail's angular lines create a high-contrast environment where even moderate spread produces clearly visible secondary edges. Combined with the strong date spread, the lapel doubling gives collectors two widely separated confirmation points for attribution. Cataloged as UVC-3339 and DMR-013, this die was paired with an RDV-005 reverse. The VarietyVista classification system from which these codes derive has cataloged thousands of Lincoln cent die varieties, and DDO-005's placement within that framework enables precise cross-referencing with other variety guides and auction records. Among the five DDO varieties cataloged for the 1988 Philadelphia cent, DDO-005 offers one of the strongest visual presentations after the celebrated FS-101 (DDO-003). Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Die Markers

• UVC-3339; DMR-013

External References