1944-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-015

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1640 and DMR-046, DDO-015 on the 1944-D Lincoln Wheat cent presents medium extra thickness on three obverse elements: the date, WE TRUST, and LIBERTY. Three die stages have been identified: Stage A in early die state remains unconfirmed, Stage B in mid die state shows a die crack running northwest across the shoulder and a die chip in the lower right wheat grains, and Stage C in late die state is unconfirmed. The die crack across the shoulder and die chip in the wheat grains at Stage B serve as the primary attribution markers, documenting a working die progressing through its operational lifecycle. The 1944-D Lincoln Wheat cent was struck at the Denver Mint during World War II, but unlike the 1943 steel cents, the 1944 issue returned to a copper-based composition — specifically, shell case brass composed of 95% copper and 5% zinc (no tin), utilizing recycled brass cartridge casings from military ammunition as a wartime metal source. These shell casing cents weigh 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter and often exhibit a slightly different color tone than pre-war and post-war bronze cents due to the zinc-only alloy. Denver produced approximately 430.6 million cents in 1944, making it one of the highest-mintage wartime issues. The medium extra thickness classification indicates doubling that manifests as enhanced stroke weight rather than clearly separated secondary images, requiring comparison with normal strikes to confirm the variety. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait and Wheat reverse design served throughout the war years without modification.

Die Markers

• UVC-1640
• DMR-046
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die crack Northwest across shoulder – MDS
• Die chip in lower Right wheat grains – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References