1988 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Opening the Wexler catalog of doubled die reverses for the 1988 Lincoln Memorial cent, WDDR-001 exhibits a spread toward the rim on the lower letters of USA coupled with extra thickness on EPU and the flanking dots of E PLURIBUS UNUM. This outward spread pattern — where design elements nearest the rim show the most displacement — is characteristic of hub doubling that occurred with a slight rotational or radial offset between hub impressions, pushing peripheral elements farther from center on the second strike. The obverse carries a dense constellation of die markers: a very strong scratch runs northeast from the rim to the left of the L in LIBERTY, a strong scratch extends southwest from the bottom of the second eight in the date, and numerous additional scratches running mostly in southwest-to-northeast directions populate the entire obverse field. On the reverse, three parallel scratches run southwest from the N in UNITED, and a strong scratch runs in a west-northwest to east-southeast direction below the statue of Lincoln within the Memorial. Doubled die reverses on Lincoln cents are generally scarcer in collector hands than their obverse counterparts, partly because many collectors focus their cherry-picking efforts on the obverse and partly because reverse doubling on small-denomination coins tends to be subtler and more easily overlooked. Attributed by the Wexler Team and struck at the Philadelphia Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm. Die Markers: Obverse: A very strong die scratch runs NE from the rim to the left of the L in LIBERTY. A strong die scratch runs SW from the bottom of the second eight in the date. Numerous other die scratches running mostly SW/NE can be found throughout the obverse. Reverse: Three parallel die scratches run SW from the N in UNITED. A strong die scratch runs WNW/ESE below the statue of Lincoln.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Peter Beane & Jennifer Casazza Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1988 1¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References