1909 VDDR VDDR-035

Description

From the inaugural year of the Lincoln Cent, this 1909 Philadelphia issue is cataloged by VarietyVista as VDDR-035 with UVC and DMR codes pending assignment. The reverse exhibits light spread on TE of UNITED, F of OF, TA of STATES, and M of AMERICA. Multiple die stages are documented: Stage A represents early die state, Stage B shows die cracks developing from the upper left wheat stalk to the rim at early-to-mid die state, along with a die crack from the head to the rim at late-mid die state and a die crack from the shoulder to rim. The reverse die is identified as either RDV-004 (deep cut N, no V.D.B.) or RDV-003 (shallow cut N, no V.D.B.), both variants without designer Victor David Brenner's initials. Brenner's initials were famously removed from the reverse after public criticism that they were too prominent on the earliest 1909 issues. Finding a doubled die reverse on a first-year Lincoln Cent, especially on a no-V.D.B. reverse variety, adds meaningful historical context to what is already one of the most celebrated dates in the entire series.

Die Markers

• UVC-????
• DMR-0??
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die crack from upper Left wheat to rim –
• EMDS
• Die crack head to rim – LMDS
• Die crack shoulder to rim
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kathy Hofmann
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References