1909 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-013

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1909 1¢ WDDR-013 and cross-referenced as CONECA 8-R-VI with photography credit to John Bordner for the Wexler Doubled Die Files, this Lincoln Wheat Cent displays Class VI (Extra Thickness) spread toward the center on the E PLURIBUS UNUM motto, the dots flanking the motto, and both wheat ears and stems. The center-directed spread means the secondary hub impression shifted inward relative to the primary, creating thickened design elements where the two overlapping impressions combine to produce bolder-than-normal lettering and device detail. Obverse die markers include several short die scratches extending southeast from Lincoln's eyeball, while the reverse carries three specific diagnostics: a die scratch extending south from the rim just right of the I in PLURIBUS, a die scratch running northwest from the upper left side of the right vertical bar of the N in CENT, and a die gouge running east from the right lower leg of the M in UNUM toward the wheat ear. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and first issued in 1909, making this variety part of the inaugural year of the longest-running coin design in U.S. history. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, the 1909 date encompasses both VDB and non-VDB variants depending on whether the designer's initials appear on the reverse. First-year-of-issue doubled die varieties hold special significance for collectors documenting the die production characteristics of a new design's initial manufacturing period, and the Class VI thickening on the wheat ears and motto elements demonstrates that hub misalignment events occurred from the very beginning of the Lincoln Cent series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA: 8-R-VI Comments: The photos for this variety were taken by John Bordner for the Wexler Doubled Die Files.
• CONECA: 8-R-VI Comments: The photos for this variety were taken by John Bordner for the Wexler Doubled Die Files.; Wexler Variety ID: 1909 1¢ WDDR-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References