1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-005

Description

Manifesting as a light spread eastward that creates an extra eyelid on Lincoln's portrait, the 1944 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-005 documents a doubled die whose most prominent feature appears on the president's face rather than on peripheral lettering. Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1612 and DMR-006, this variety progresses through Stage A with both obverse and reverse in early die state, while Stage B (mid die state) and Stage C (late die state) remain unconfirmed. The extra eyelid effect occurs when the secondary hub impression shifts slightly eastward, creating a shadowed or doubled line parallel to Lincoln's natural eyelid — a feature that is particularly valued by collectors because portrait doubling represents doubling on the primary design element rather than on surrounding text. Doubled dies with eyelid doubling are often among the most actively sought varieties within any given date because the visual impact on the portrait is immediately recognizable even under moderate magnification. The 1944 Lincoln Wheat Cent was produced during World War II across all three mint facilities, with Philadelphia striking a substantial quantity. Five documented doubled die obverses for 1944-P indicates moderate die variety activity for this wartime date. The DMR-006 die marker reference provides a secondary attribution tool, and the early die state of Stage A specimens means collectors may encounter examples with sharp, well-defined doubling before die wear has softened the doubled features. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, with its fine facial details including the precisely rendered eye area, serves as an ideal canvas for detecting subtle hubbing displacements.

Die Markers

• UVC-1612
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Franzen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References