1998-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1998-D 1¢ WDDR-003, this Lincoln Memorial Cent presents an unusual doubled die reverse pattern where remnants of a partial extra column appear at a 45-degree angle from the horizontal, running through the top of the pedestal within the Memorial's interior. Additional possible remnants of a partial extra column at the same angle may be visible at the top of the 6th bay — a more tentative diagnostic that may require higher-grade specimens to confirm definitively. The 45-degree angular orientation of the extra column elements is diagnostically significant because it indicates a hub displacement vector that was neither purely horizontal nor vertical, but diagonal, producing ghosted architectural elements at an oblique angle relative to the Memorial's vertical columns. Obverse die markers include die gouges visible above the E and the R of LIBERTY. The reverse exhibits a die scratch running from the upper right N of UNITED to the rim, and a die dent runs from the rim above the second S of STATES to the S of PLURIBUS — a substantial die damage mark that provides a strong secondary attribution point. No cross-references to CONECA or other systems are currently known. The Lincoln Memorial Cent in 1998 was struck at the Denver Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.5 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse provides the architectural detail — individual columns, bays, pedestal, and the seated Lincoln statue — within which diagonal hub displacement creates these distinctive angled extra-column features that distinguish this variety from the more common vertical or horizontal doubling patterns.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Richard Cooper Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1998-D 1¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References