1941 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-023

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die identifiers UVC-2560 and DMR-029, the 1941 DDO-023 Lincoln Wheat Cent features a strong spread manifesting as an extra eyelid south of Lincoln's eye — one of the most visually compelling doubled die effects possible on the Lincoln cent obverse, where the secondary hub impression created a distinct duplicate of the fine eyelid detail displaced downward from the primary image. Three die stages are documented: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS) shows a die scratch connecting the upper D of GOD to the W of WE along with a die scratch outside the upper right wheat lines on the reverse; and Stage C represents late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The extra eyelid doubling is particularly notable because Lincoln's eye area contains some of the finest relief detail on the obverse die, and even slight hub misalignment produces visible displacement in these delicate features. The die scratch connecting GOD to WE at Stage B serves as a reliable attribution marker because it sits in a specific position relative to known design reference points, providing a secondary confirmation beyond the doubling itself. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner, whose obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln debuted in 1909 as the first U.S. circulating coin to feature a real historical figure. The 1941 issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 95% copper composition (with 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter — the final years of standard bronze composition before the wartime steel cents of 1943. The strong southward spread creating the extra eyelid makes this variety among the more dramatic doubled dies in the 1941 Wheat Cent die population, and its visibility even on circulated specimens enhances its appeal to cherrypickers searching through roll quantities.

Die Markers

• UVC-2560
• DMR-029
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die scratch connects upper D of GOD to W of WE – MDS
• Die scratch outside upper Right wheat lines – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jerry Allery
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References