1936 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Denver Mint production of the Lincoln Wheat Cent in 1936 yielded this fourth doubled die reverse, exhibiting medium extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM, the upper wheat ears, and stems — design elements from Victor David Brenner's iconic wheat stalks reverse that had been in continuous service since 1909. Die markers tracked under UVC-3459 and DMR-012 document three stages with an unusual asymmetry: Stage A shows the reverse in Early Die State while the obverse is in Very Late Die State (VLDS), Stage B enters Mid-Die State (unconfirmed), and Stage C reaches Late Die State (also unconfirmed). The Stage A pairing of EDS reverse with VLDS obverse is particularly interesting, as it suggests the obverse die had seen extensive prior service before being paired with this fresh reverse die — a common Mint practice of pairing new dies with existing ones to maximize die utilization. Cataloged by VarietyVista, four DDRs for the 1936-D cent reflects the substantial Denver production volume of approximately 40.6 million pieces that year. The mid-1930s marked a recovery period for coin production after the dramatically reduced mintages of the Great Depression's worst years (1931-1933), and 1936 saw robust production across all denominations as economic conditions improved. The extra-thickness manifestation of the doubling — where design elements appear bolder and wider rather than showing distinct separated images — characterizes a close hub shift that enlarged affected features without creating the dramatic split-image effect of wider spreads.

Die Markers

• UVC-3459
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EDS
• Obverse is VLDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References