2007 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-006

Description

Sixth doubled die reverse attributed for the 2007 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDR-006 records a hub misalignment that produced visible doubling on the reverse design during the penultimate year of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse — a design that would be replaced by the four rotating 2009 bicentennial reverses and then the permanent Union Shield in 2010. The doubled die reverse mechanism involves a working die receiving two or more hub impressions with slight misalignment between them, transferring a secondary design image offset from the primary. This secondary image manifests as spread, extra thickness, or notching on the reverse inscriptions and architectural elements of the Lincoln Memorial. The 2007-P cent was struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets, the standard composition since 1982, during a period when cent production continued at massive scale despite ongoing debates about the denomination's economic utility — each penny cost more to manufacture than its face value. Six doubled die reverses for the 2007-P date represents a moderate count consistent with the hundreds of working dies consumed during the year's production. The Lincoln Memorial reverse, approaching its fiftieth and final year of service, featured the memorial building with its twelve visible columns and steps — architectural elements that provided clear reference points for detecting and measuring hub doubling. The late Memorial Cent era has been thoroughly researched by die variety specialists who recognized the approaching design change as motivation to complete documentation before collector attention shifted to new types.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References