1909 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-007

Description

From the inaugural year of the Lincoln Cent, this 1909 doubled die reverse carries designations UVC-2555 and DMR-014 in the VarietyVista system. The doubling manifests as a light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, ONE, and both wheat ears, with extra thickness on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and both wheat stems. Three die states are documented: Stage A in Early Die State, Stage B in Mid Die State (unconfirmed), and Stage C in Late Die State (unconfirmed). A significant attribution detail accompanies this variety: the reverse is RDV-003, the "No V.D.B." reverse design variant, meaning this die lacks the Victor David Brenner initials that appeared on the earliest 1909 reverses before public controversy prompted their removal partway through production. Brenner's initials were initially placed prominently between the wheat stalks, but complaints led the Mint to remove them — they would not return until 1918, restored in smaller form on Lincoln's shoulder truncation. DDR-007 pairs a doubled die with the historically significant No V.D.B. reverse, linking die variety research to one of the most storied episodes in American coin design.

Die Markers

• UVC-2555
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References