1944 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-009

Description

Ninth in the VarietyVista catalog of 1944 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die obverses, DDO-009 exhibits extra thickness on the date, LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST — a three-element spread pattern affecting all major obverse text zones. Die markers UVC-2913 and DMR-013 fingerprint this specific working die. The three-stage progression documented by VarietyVista traces the die through its entire service life: Stage A at EDS (Early Die State, unconfirmed), Stage B at MDS (Mid Die State, also unconfirmed), and Stage C at LDS (Late Die State) characterized by a die crack running from the upper left wheat stalk to the rim on the obverse. The Stage C die crack provides a definitive late-state diagnostic — its presence confirms a coin was struck near the end of this die's productive life, when accumulated fatigue had propagated a crack through the die face. "Extra thickness" as a doubling description indicates the secondary hub impression sits very close to the primary impression, widening the apparent line weight of each letter and numeral without creating the clear separation between distinct doubled images that characterizes wider-spread varieties. Under magnification, the letters of LIBERTY and the numerals of the date appear bolder and wider than normal, as though drawn with a thicker pen — this is the secondary image adding material to the outer edges of each design element. Struck on wartime shell-case brass planchets at 3.11 grams and 19mm, the 1944 Philadelphia cent's record-setting mintage of 1,435,400,000 ensures that specimens exist in sufficient quantity for dedicated variety hunters to locate DDO-009 through patient roll searching, with the Stage C die crack serving as a quick screening indicator for late-state examples.

Die Markers

• UVC-2913
• DMR-013
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die crack upper Left wheat to rim – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Blount
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References