2021-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-004

Description

Submitted by Lynn Morace and cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 2021-D 1¢ WDDR-004, this doubled die reverse on the Denver Mint Lincoln Shield Cent presents slight doubling above the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th vertical stripes on Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse design. The pattern of affected stripes — every other stripe starting from the 5th — suggests the hub displacement vector ran at an angle that produced visible doubling only on stripes positioned where the cumulative offset exceeded the threshold of visibility, while intermediate stripes fell at positions where the displacement was too slight to resolve. This alternating-stripe doubling pattern provides a useful diagnostic because it narrows the identification to this specific die: the probability of another die showing identical doubling on exactly the same four stripes in the same direction approaches zero. No significant obverse die markers were noted. The reverse carries a die chip north of the P in E PLURIBUS UNUM — a small raised feature on struck coins where die metal fractured and fell away, leaving a cavity that fills with planchet metal during striking. This die chip appears in the field above the letter rather than on the letter itself, making it a particularly useful attribution marker since field marks are less susceptible to wear-related loss of visibility than marks on design high points. The 2021-D Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in copper-plated zinc composition at 2.5 grams. The Shield reverse's geometric pattern of horizontal and vertical stripes creates a grid-like framework that is especially sensitive to hub doubling, as any offset immediately produces visible secondary stripe edges parallel to the originals.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lynn Morace Cross References: None known
• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 2021-D 1¢ WDDR-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References