2006 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Carrying the prestigious FS-102 Fivaz-Stanton designation, the 2006 Lincoln Memorial cent DDO-003 features strong northward spread across the entire obverse, affecting LIBERTY, the date, IN GOD WE TRUST, and even the small V.D.B. designer's initials on Lincoln's shoulder. VarietyVista cataloged this die pair under UVC-2502 with die markers reference DMR-004 and documented three die stages. Stage A shows both the obverse and reverse in early die state. By Stage B, a light die crack and small die chip develop in the hair at early-to-mid die state, joined by a small die chip forming in the lower portion of the G in GOD, while the reverse also reaches EMDS. Stage C at late die state remains unconfirmed. The FS-102 cross-reference means this variety appears in the Cherry Pickers' Guide, the standard field reference for valuable die varieties, guaranteeing it broader recognition among dealers and collectors than varieties without Fivaz-Stanton listings. Philadelphia produced 4.29 billion cents in 2006, the final year before the introduction of the new edge-incused dollar eliminated the need for massive cent production runs. Despite these enormous mintages, the DDO-003 die represents a single die pair's output, likely numbering in the tens of thousands of coins at most before normal die replacement. The strong northward spread direction means the doubling appears as secondary images above the primary design elements, making it most visible on the tops of letters and the upper edge of the date numerals. This is a prime cherry-picking target at coin shows and in dealer junk bins.

Die Markers

• UVC-2502
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Light die crack and small die chip in hair – EMDS
• Small die chip in lower G of GOD
• Reverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Tingle
• FS-102
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References