2021-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 2021-D 1-cent WDDR-001, this Lincoln Shield Cent doubled die reverse holds the primary DDR designation for the 2021 Denver Mint issue, submitted by Jessy Gozum. The doubling manifests above the vertical stripes on the shield — the Union Shield design by Lyndall Bass that has served as the Lincoln Cent reverse since 2010. Obverse die markers include a die crack running down the front of the forehead, while the reverse shows a die crack along the top left of the shield north of the E PLU in E PLURIBUS UNUM. Both die cracks provide strong attribution diagnostics distributed across both faces of the coin, and the reverse die crack's specific path relative to the E PLURIBUS UNUM inscription establishes a precisely defined landmark for variety confirmation. No other cross-references are known beyond the Wexler designation. The Lincoln Shield Cent combines Victor David Brenner's iconic 1909 obverse portrait with the Shield reverse introduced in 2010, symbolizing Abraham Lincoln's role in preserving the Union. Struck at the Denver Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc core with 2.5% copper plating), weighing 2.5 grams at 19.05 mm diameter with a plain edge. As WDDR-001 for the 2021-D date, this variety occupies the premiere position among reverse doubled dies for this issue — the designation indicating it was either the first discovered or the most significant DDR cataloged. Jessy Gozum's submission exemplifies the citizen-science aspect of variety attribution, where individual collectors discover and report new varieties that expand the documented catalog. The doubling above the shield stripes provides a well-defined diagnostic area, as the geometric stripe pattern offers clean reference lines against which any secondary impression offset becomes readily apparent under magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mel F. Haynes Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2021-D 1¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References