1937 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-009

Description

Ninth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1937 Lincoln wheat cent, DDO-009 presents light extra thickness on IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY — the two primary inscription zones on Victor David Brenner's Lincoln obverse. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1378 and DMR-012, with three die stages documented: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed); Stage B at mid die state where the obverse has reached MDS and the reverse is listed as DDR-001 at MDS; and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The DDR-001 cross-listing is exceptionally valuable — it means this die marriage pairs the DDO-009 obverse with the premier documented reverse doubled die for 1937, giving collectors the opportunity to attribute two distinct doubled die varieties on a single coin. Philadelphia struck approximately 309.2 million cents in 1937, a substantial production volume during the economic recovery from the Great Depression, requiring extensive die consumption that generated the statistical likelihood of multiple hub doubling events. The light extra thickness classification indicates the doubling produces subtly widened letterforms rather than dramatically separated secondary images, requiring deliberate magnified examination for confirmation. The dual DDO/DDR combination on the same die pair elevates this variety's appeal beyond what either variety alone would command — collectors who locate a specimen effectively acquire two attributable varieties, and the demonstrated physical connection between the two dies contributes to the die pair census. Collectors should examine IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY under 15x magnification for widened letterforms, then flip the coin to check for DDR-001 diagnostics on the reverse, creating a comprehensive two-sided attribution.

Die Markers

• UVC-1378
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-001 – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Patterson
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References