2019 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Second in the Wexler-documented reverse doubled die census for the 2019 Lincoln Shield cent, WDDR-002 shows light extra thickness on the designer's initials LB (Lyndall Bass, who designed the Shield reverse) and light extra thickness on the initials JFM (Joseph F. Menna, who sculpted the design). The Shield cent reverse, introduced in 2010, features a prominent Union shield with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM across its horizontal stripes, and the designer's initials appear in small lettering near the base of the design. The Wexler Team recorded no significant obverse die markers, but the reverse carries a distinctive diagnostic: a die crack on the top left of the shield north of the UR in PLURIBUS. Die cracks develop as working dies fatigue through repeated striking cycles, and their position and path are unique to individual dies — making this crack an invaluable secondary confirmation point independent of the subtle doubling on the designer's initials. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 2019 1¢ WDDR-002, with no additional attribution system listings currently known. Philadelphia struck approximately 3.54 billion cents in 2019, consuming significant numbers of working dies during the production run. Light extra thickness on designer's initials represents one of the subtler forms of hub doubling, where the secondary impression landed so close to the primary that it merely enlarged the letter strokes rather than creating visibly separated secondary images. Collectors should first locate the die crack north of UR on the shield to confirm the correct die, then examine the LB and JFM initials under at least 15x magnification using oblique lighting to detect the enhanced thickness compared to normally struck 2019 Shield cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chris Hurley Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2019 1¢ WDDR-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References