1943 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-024

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-3451 and DMR-039, the 1943 Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-024 exhibits medium spread directed south, manifesting as an extra eyelid on Lincoln's portrait — a diagnostically precise and visually distinctive variety. The southward-directed extra eyelid means the secondary hub impression shifted downward relative to the primary impression, producing a doubled contour specifically at the eyelid that creates the appearance of an additional fold or line below Lincoln's eye. Three die stages are identified: Stage A is early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B places the obverse in late-mid die state with a die crack running north from the O of ONE to the rim through the L of PLURIBUS on the reverse, and Stage C is late die state (unconfirmed). The 1943 Lincoln Cent was struck in zinc-coated steel as a wartime measure to conserve copper for military ordnance, weighing 2.70 grams at 19 mm diameter — lighter and more magnetically responsive than standard bronze cents. The Philadelphia Mint produced 684,628,670 steel cents in 1943, the highest mintage of any cent issue up to that point and requiring hundreds of working dies, which explains the extraordinary documentation of 24 or more distinct doubled die obverses for this single date. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait provides fine facial detail that amplifies even modest hub displacement into recognizable doubled features, with the eyelid being among the most sensitive diagnostic areas. Collectors should examine the eye area under 7x to 10x magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-3451
• DMR-039
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is LMDS
• Die crack North from O of ONE to rim through L of PLURIBUS – LMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Daniel Griffin
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References