1942 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Cross-referenced as FS-102 in the Cherry Pickers' Guide (entry 18.7) and tracked by VarietyVista under UVC-1521 with DMR-006, the 1942 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-004 presents a very strong spread on "LIBERTY" and the letter I of "IN," with very light additional spread visible on the back of Lincoln's shoulder. The FS-102 designation places this as the second most significant doubled die obverse for the date in the Fivaz-Stanton reference hierarchy, ensuring broad collector awareness and consistent demand. "Very strong" spread on LIBERTY means the doubling is visible with modest magnification and potentially even to the unaided eye under favorable lighting — a characteristic that makes this variety more accessible to beginning error collectors than many subtle doubled dies. Three die stages are documented: Stage A shows both obverse and reverse in Early Die State; Stage B at Mid Die State and Stage C at Late Die State remain unconfirmed. The 1942 Philadelphia cent saw massive wartime production of 657,796,000 pieces, as the nation geared up for full military mobilization following Pearl Harbor. Despite the enormous mintage, cherry-picking confirmed DDO-004 specimens remains challenging because the variety requires a specific die pair among hundreds employed during the year's production. The shoulder doubling, while light, provides a secondary confirmation point when the LIBERTY doubling alone is ambiguous — experienced attributors check both areas to distinguish DDO-004 from the three other documented doubled die obverses for this date. Wheat Cent doubled dies from the World War II era are actively pursued by Lincoln Cent specialists.

Die Markers

• UVC-1521
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• FS-102
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References