1909 VDDR VDDR-022

Description

Light spread on TE of UNITED, F of OF, TA of STATES, and M of AMERICA marks this twenty-second documented doubled die reverse for the inaugural 1909 Lincoln Wheat Cent, tracked by VarietyVista with die markers still awaiting assignment (UVC-???? and DMR-0??). The die's Stage B shows a light die crack from the upper right wheat stalk to the rim in early mid-die state (EMDS), with the obverse also in EMDS. Stages A (EDS) and C (LDS) remain unconfirmed. A critical attribution detail is the reverse design variant: this die uses either RDV-004 (deep cut N, no V.D.B. initials) or RDV-003 (shallow cut N, no V.D.B.), identifying it as a non-V.D.B. reverse — the version of Victor David Brenner's reverse used after the designer's initials were controversially removed partway through the 1909 production run. The 1909 Lincoln Cent debut year is one of the most intensely studied dates in all of American numismatics, with V.D.B. and non-V.D.B. variants, multiple mints, and the Indian Head Cent it replaced all contributing to collector interest. Twenty-two documented DDR varieties for this date alone reflects the extraordinary scrutiny applied to first-year Lincoln Cents. The Progressive Era debut of Brenner's design marked the first time a historical figure — President Abraham Lincoln — appeared on a regular-issue U.S. coin.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack upper
• Right wheat to rim – EMDS
• Obverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jay Painter
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References