1943-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-004

Description

Strong extra eyelid doubling to the south marks DDO-004 as one of the more visually dramatic obverse doubled dies on the 1943 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent — a coin struck on zinc-coated steel planchets during the wartime copper conservation program. VarietyVista records die markers UVC-1576 and DMR-026, with three documented stages: Stage A shows the obverse in Early Die State and the reverse listed as DDR-005 in Early to Mid Die State (EMDS); Stage B features a light die crack running northeast across Lincoln's shoulder at EMDS, a die crack southeast across the lapel, and a short die gouge outside the upper right M of UNUM; Stage C represents Late Die State (unconfirmed). The pairing with reverse DDR-005 creates a dual-doubled-die combination — both obverse and reverse carry hub doubling from the same die pair — adding considerable appeal for variety collectors. The extra eyelid is one of the easiest doubled die diagnostics to spot on Lincoln Cents because the eyelid sits in a high-relief area where even modest displacement becomes visible under low magnification. Denver produced approximately 217 million steel cents in 1943, and the wartime composition's hardness contributed to accelerated die degradation visible in the progressive cracking documented across stages. Collectors should look for the strong southward eyelid spread first, then confirm the die pairing through the reverse DDR-005 doubling.

Die Markers

• UVC-1576
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-005 – EMDS
• Stage B:
• Light die crack Northeast across shoulder – EMDS
• Die crack Southeast across lapel
• Short die gouge outside upper Right M of UNUM – EMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by William McMurray
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References