1934 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006 / DDO-004

Description

DDO-004, which Wexler numbers WDDO-006, is a doubled die obverse on the 1934 Lincoln wheat cent with a very strong northwest spread, slight rotation, and light hubbing seen as extra high points at the centers of the 9 and 3 of the date. Both catalogs list it as FS-101 (013.79); Wexler writes FS-01-1934-101 (013.79). Wexler's Coins and Die Varieties describes an extremely wide spread on roughly the centers of the 9 and 3, which it puts down, probably, to a hub or die that was offset and strongly tilted. On the obverse, several west-east scratches cross the letters of WE, a scratch runs ENE from the upper right of the R in TRUST to the top of its U, and a small gouge is centered between the U and S of TRUST, near their tops. On the reverse, several WNW-ESE scratches cross the URI of PLURIBUS; another runs from the lower right of its second U to the base of the S; several NW-SE scratches cross the U and M of UNUM and the field from that M to the top of the right wheat ear; and a long north-south scratch lies left of the upright of the T in CENT. Frank Baumann submitted it, and Russ LeBeau supplied an upgraded coin. Crawford lists it as CDDO-001, CONECA as 4-O-I, and Coppercoins as 1934P-1DO-002. VarietyVista credits Mel Pruitt with the report. It adds that the offset seems to have been large enough that the pressman caught it before pressing hard and repositioned the hub on the die for the final hubbing. Under its marker codes UVC-3005 and DMR-008, stage A (early die state) shows many light scratches on the lower front of the lapel and vest, light reverse scratches, and a gouge dot up and to the northeast of the N of CENT. The middle stage B is unconfirmed. In stage C the secondary image is extremely weak and the die is late, with cracks from the 9 to the lapel, from the lapel to the shoulder, and across the shoulder above V.D.B.; on the reverse, cracks run from the E of ONE to the S of PLURIBUS and, lightly, from the middle right wheat grains to the rim.

Die Markers

• VarietyVista: UVC-3005 DMR-008 Stage A: Numerous light die scratches on lower front lapel and vest – EDS Light die scratches on Reverse – EDS Die gouge dot to the upper Northeast of the N of CENT Stage B: MDS (unconfirmed) Stage C: Secondary image is extremely weak – LDS Die crack from 9 to lapel Die crack from lapel to shoulder Die crack across shoulder over V. D. B. Die crack from E of ONE to S of PLURIBUS – LDS Light die crack from middle Right wheat grains to rim

Cross References

• Wexler: 1934 1¢ WDDO-006; VarietyVista: 1934 DDO-004; Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-01-1934-101 (013.79), Crawford: CDDO-001, CONECA: 4-O-I, Coppercoins: 1934P-1DO-002 Here we see the die scratches that run through the letters of WE.

External References