1999 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-023

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1999 1¢ WDDR-023, this Lincoln Memorial Cent displays doubling on the left side of the seventh column to the right of the lower portion of the seated Lincoln statue — a localized hub doubling effect occurring within the most detailed zone of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse design. This variety is documented with two obverse die stages paired with the same doubled reverse, indicating the reverse die outlasted at least one obverse die during production. Obverse Stage A markers include a small die gouge touching the top of the B in LIBERTY, while Obverse Stage B features a new obverse die with a light die scratch running northeast from the top of Lincoln's chin — providing collectors with a tool for determining which of the two obverse dies their specimen was paired with. Reverse Stage A shows a die gouge west of the I in PLURIBUS, and reverse die markers remain consistent across both obverse pairings since the same reverse die is involved throughout. The fact that two different obverse dies were paired with this single doubled reverse die documents the Mint's practice of replacing individual dies as they wore out, sometimes pairing a surviving die from a broken marriage with a fresh partner — a routine production decision that creates distinct "sub-varieties" for attribution purposes. The Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1999 in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The twenty-third cataloged DDR for the 1999 date reflects the massive die population utilized in billion-piece annual production runs, where each die represents an independent opportunity for hub misalignment during manufacture.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1999 1¢ WDDR-023
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References