1998 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-033

Description

Thirty-third documented doubled die reverse for the 1998 Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDR-033 shows doubling on the central right side of the sixth column to the right of the statue's upper right leg — a highly specific location within the Lincoln Memorial architecture that defines Frank Gasparro's reverse design. The Memorial Cent reverse, in production from 1959 through 2008, rendered the Lincoln Memorial with remarkable architectural detail including individual columns, steps, and the seated Lincoln statue visible through the central opening. This level of detail provided numerous opportunities for hub doubling to manifest on specific structural elements, and the sixth column's central right side represents one such diagnostic zone. The obverse die marker — a die scratch running north-northeast from the top of Lincoln's head to the left of the W in WE — and the reverse marker — a short die scratch running east-northeast from the upper right of the first T in STATES — provide the fingerprints needed for positive attribution. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are known. The 1998 Lincoln Cent was produced during the final decade of the Memorial reverse design, a period when the Mint's production technology was highly refined but still susceptible to the hub doubling that occurs during die manufacture. Attributed by the Wexler Team, WDDR-033 demonstrates the architectural precision of the Memorial reverse as a revealing canvas for doubled die detection, where even minute hub displacement becomes visible on individual building elements.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jim Fines Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1998 1¢ WDDR-033
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References