1997 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-032

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team with no other cross-references known and cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 1997 1c WDDR-032, this Lincoln Memorial Cent doubled die reverse features a distinctive structural anomaly: a bar extending from the middle of the head to the upper arm of the statue to the left on the sixth column of the Lincoln Memorial. This bar — a raised linear element connecting points on the tiny seated Lincoln figure within the Memorial — results from die doubling that affected the intricate architectural detail of Frank Gasparro's reverse design, where the miniature Lincoln statue and its surrounding columns are rendered at such small scale that even minor hub displacement can create visible connections between adjacent design elements that should remain separated. Obverse die markers include parallel die scratches extending WSW (west-southwest) from the collar to the lower Y of LIBERTY and die scratches extending NNE (north-northeast) from Lincoln's chin — directional die preparation marks whose specific compass orientations serve as precise attribution waypoints. On the reverse, a die chip sits to the right of the crossbar on the T of CENT and another die chip occupies the right bottom corner of the memorial base, both representing small areas where die metal fractured away during service. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in the post-1982 zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper plating) at 2.5 grams, the 1997 Lincoln Cent's reverse doubled die is best examined under 10x to 15x magnification focused on the sixth column area of the Memorial, where the connecting bar between the statue's head and arm provides the most visually distinctive diagnostic for this WDDR-032 attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1997 1¢ WDDR-032
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References