1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-021

Description

Medium spread North producing an extra eyelid on the 1943 Lincoln Wheat Cent, the famous steel cent year. Cataloged by VarietyVista with die tracking code UVC-3126 and die marriage reference DMR-035. Three die stages have been identified: Stage A remains unconfirmed at early die state (EDS). Stage B, the most commonly documented state, shows light die cracks across the shoulder to the lapel at early-to-mid die state (EMDS), with the reverse in EDS. Stage C (LDS) is unconfirmed. The extra eyelid — where hub displacement created a second, slightly offset impression of Lincoln's eyelid — is a classic doubled die diagnostic that experienced collectors can detect under moderate magnification. The 1943 steel cent was produced from zinc-coated steel planchets to conserve copper for the war effort, and the harder planchet material placed additional stress on working dies, potentially accelerating die deterioration and contributing to the shoulder-to-lapel die cracks observed in Stage B. Twenty-one documented DDOs for 1943 reflects the intensive variety research dedicated to this iconic wartime issue.

Die Markers

• UVC-3126
• DMR-035
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die cracks across shoulder to lapel – EMDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Al Raddi
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References