1942 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-008

Description

Eighth doubled die reverse for the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this VarietyVista entry documents light spread on both wheat ears of Victor David Brenner's iconic reverse design. Die classification codes UVC-1534 and DMR-019 provide systematic identification, and three die stages have been tracked through the die's working life. Stage A at early die state and Stage C at late die state remain unconfirmed, while Stage B has been verified with both the reverse and obverse at mid-die-state. Light spread on both wheat ears indicates a hub displacement that affected the bilateral elements symmetrically — both the left and right wheat stalks show traces of doubled impressions, suggesting the hub shift was primarily vertical or radial rather than rotational. The 1942 Philadelphia Mint Wheat Cent was produced at the threshold of wartime composition changes: the following year would bring the unprecedented switch to zinc-coated steel planchets, and in 1943-44 the Mint would also experiment with shell case brass for cents. The 1942-P cent itself maintained the standard 95% copper / 5% tin-and-zinc bronze composition that had been used since 1864, but Mint operations were already transitioning to wartime priorities that would affect production across all denominations. Eight doubled die reverses documented for 1942 reflects collector interest in this pivotal pre-war date, and the wheat ears doubling provides a subtle but diagnostically important attribution feature. VarietyVista's three-stage documentation framework allows collectors to pursue die state progressions, building sets that track how this doubled die deteriorated from its earliest strikes through mid-life and potentially into late-stage decline.

Die Markers

• UVC-1534
• DMR-019
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References