2002 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-011

Description

A medium southeast spread produces a dramatic extra column number 6 between the statue's knee and shin, along with an extra knee visible between the legs of the Lincoln statue, making the 2002 Lincoln Memorial cent DDR-011 one of the more visually striking reverse varieties in the late Memorial cent series. VarietyVista cataloged this die pair as UVC-3244 with DMR-012, and the three-stage progression shows both reverse and obverse at early die state in Stage A, with Stages B and C at mid and late die state remaining unconfirmed. The southeast displacement direction is significant: it means the secondary hub impression shifted both downward and to the right relative to the primary design, creating the illusion of additional architectural elements that do not exist in the normal reverse design. The extra column and duplicate knee are among the most tangible diagnostics for any Memorial cent DDR, as they transform abstract "spread on lettering" into concrete architectural features that even beginning collectors can identify. Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse, with its twelve columns and central statue, remained in production from 1959 through 2008, and the 2002 date falls near the end of this long run. Philadelphia (no mintmark) production numbers for 2002 were substantial, ensuring a base population for this variety despite its single-die-pair origin. DDR-011's status as the eleventh documented reverse doubled die for the 2002 cent places it within a well-studied date, though the dramatic nature of the extra column feature likely makes it the most visually identifiable DDR of the year.

Die Markers

• UVC-3244
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References