1999 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-017

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1999 1¢ WDDR-017, this Lincoln Memorial Cent is a replacement listing where the original entry documented a "wavy steps" variety now delisted because wavy steps have been reclassified as non-doubled-die phenomena under revised attribution standards. The 17th WDDR position within the 1999 date further illustrates the extensive scope of the wavy steps reclassification project, which affected a significant proportion of the Memorial Cent doubled die reverse catalog across multiple late-1990s dates. The technical reassessment concluded that the undulating staircase lines characteristic of wavy steps originate from processes distinct from the multi-impression hub misalignment that defines true doubled dies — potentially including differential die wear across the stepped base\'s varying relief heights, pressure distribution anomalies during striking, or surface effects from the hubbing process that do not involve the angular or positional displacement between successive hub impressions required for genuine doubling. No additional cross-references are currently known. The Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1999 in copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper), weighing 2.50 grams at 19.05 mm diameter. Frank Gasparro\'s architectural reverse design — in use since 1959 — features the Lincoln Memorial with its detailed staircase, colonnade, and the visible seated Lincoln statue between the central columns. The replacement listing system ensures catalog integrity by maintaining the sequential numbering framework while updating each entry to document a variety confirmed to meet current attribution criteria for hub doubling, a standard that has become increasingly rigorous through decades of accumulated research.

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Hair Cross References: None known Comments: This is a replacement listing. The original listing was a “wavy steps” variety and these are no longer believed to be doubled dies.
• None known Comments: This is a replacement listing. The original listing was a “wavy steps” variety and these are no longer believed to be doubled dies.; Wexler Variety ID: 1999 1¢ WDDR-017
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References