1939 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Fifth doubled die reverse for the 1939 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety shows light spread concentrated on BUS of PLURIBUS, UNUM, and the right wheat ear — a partial distribution affecting selected elements of Victor David Brenner's reverse design. Tracked under UVC-1431 and DMR-015 in the VarietyVista system, the die state documentation notes that Stages A and B remain unconfirmed while Stage C shows both the reverse and obverse in late die state. The VarietyVista editor has specifically noted that a specimen of this doubled die is needed for new color photographs and updated die stage information — an editorial comment indicating that the variety's documentation predates modern digital imaging standards and that reference-quality photographs remain a priority for future attribution work. The 1939 Lincoln Wheat Cent was produced at Philadelphia during the final full year before the United States entered World War II, a period of economic recovery and growing industrial production that generated strong demand for circulating coinage. The light spread characterization places this variety at the subtle end of the visibility spectrum, requiring magnification to resolve the doubled image, and the concentration on BUS of PLURIBUS rather than the complete word suggests a very minor hub shift that produced detectable doubling only on elements positioned at a specific distance from the rotation or translation axis. Five doubled die reverses documented for the 1939-P Wheat Cent reflects consistent research depth across prewar Lincoln Cent dates, where collectors and researchers have systematically examined specimens spanning every year of the series' production.

Die Markers

• UVC-1431
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charles Corry
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References