2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-012

Description

Twelfth in the reverse doubled die census for the 2005 Lincoln Memorial cent, DDR-012 presents medium westward spread manifesting as an extra column number 7 at the pedestal level of Frank Gasparro's memorial facade. The phantom column phenomenon — where hub doubling creates a displaced image of one of the memorial's twelve facade columns — has become the signature diagnostic for Lincoln Memorial cent DDRs, and DDR-012 targets the pedestal area of column 7, the rightmost column in the building's central section. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-2909 and DMR-014 and documented three die stages: Stage A where both reverse and obverse surfaces exhibit early die state characteristics, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The comments note this is a Satin Finish variety that can be found in 2005 Mint Sets — placing it among the special finish coins produced exclusively for that year's uncirculated sets, which used a distinctive matte-like satin surface treatment applied between 2005 and 2010 that differs from both standard business strikes and proof finishes. The satin finish context means this DDR would not appear in circulation-strike coins or proof sets, narrowing the search population to specimens sourced from 2005 uncirculated Mint Sets. Medium westward spread at the pedestal level places the secondary column image to the left of column 7's base, where the clean background between columns provides contrast that makes even moderate doubling detectable. Collectors should source 2005 Mint Set cents and examine the pedestal area below column 7 under 10-15x magnification, looking for the displaced column base against the memorial's lower horizontal structure.

Die Markers

• UVC-2909
• DMR-014
• 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