1996-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-012

Description

Twelfth in the Wexler Team's growing census of doubled die reverses for the 1996 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDR-012 documents another instance where die hubbing misalignment produced visible doubling on the reverse design elements. The Lincoln Memorial reverse, designed by Frank Gasparro and introduced in 1959, features the Lincoln Memorial with its twelve columns, detailed entablature, and the small seated Lincoln statue visible between the central columns — architectural elements whose fine straight lines and repeated spacing make them particularly sensitive to even minor hubbing displacement. Denver Mint cent production in 1996 consumed large numbers of die pairs at high-speed press rates, and each hubbing operation carried the inherent potential for the slight mechanical variance that produces an attributable doubled die variety. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1996-D 1c WDDR-012, this variety belongs to the Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959-2008 series. The dozen documented DDRs for the 1996-D date reflect the systematic examination that modern Lincoln Cent dates receive from the variety collecting community across the country.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tony Russo Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1996-D 1¢ WDDR-012
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References