2015 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Attributed by Charles D. Hudson and cross-referenced as both 2015P-1DR-001 and Wexler Variety ID 2015 1¢ WDDR-003, this doubled die reverse was discovered on a 2015 Lincoln Shield cent from the Philadelphia Mint. The primary diagnostic shows light extra thickness on the designer's initials LB (Lyndall Bass), positioned on the reverse shield design. The obverse die markers include die scratches running east-southeast from the front of the throat, while the reverse features a die crack with a die chip north of the LU in PLURIBUS at the top left of the shield, and a die crack running from the top right of the U in PLURIBUS to the top of the shield. The Lincoln Shield Cents 2010 to Date series features a reverse designed by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield, introduced as a permanent replacement for the four 2009 bicentennial reverses. The 2015 cent was struck in the copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper), weighing 2.5 grams at 19 mm diameter. Philadelphia produced over 4.6 billion cents in 2015, one of the highest annual mintages in the denomination's history. The discovery submission by Charles D. Hudson exemplifies the citizen-science aspect of variety attribution, where individual collectors identify and submit new varieties for cataloging by the Wexler organization. The die crack features noted near PLURIBUS provide both diagnostic markers for attribution and visual interest, as the interaction between die cracks and doubled die characteristics creates a layered story of the die's production history.

Attribution History

• 2015P-1DR-001; Wexler Variety ID: 2015 1¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References