1944-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-009

Description

Two strong extra eyelids displaced northward define DDO-009 for the 1944-S Lincoln wheat cent — a doubling so pronounced it produces two discrete secondary lines above Lincoln's normal eyelid rather than the single extra line typical of most doubled eyelid varieties. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1658 and DMR-026, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces show confirmed mid die state characteristics, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B establishes a verified midpoint in this die's production life. San Francisco struck approximately 282.8 million cents in 1944 using the wartime shell-case bronze alloy composition, continuing the recycled-cartridge-casing copper-zinc formula that replaced standard bronze during 1944-1946. The mintmark carries the MMS-005 designation with straight serifs, the same mintmark punch style documented on DDO-004 for this date — raising the possibility that both varieties employed the same mintmark punch even though they represent different doubled obverse dies. Two strong extra eyelids north surpasses the typical single doubled eyelid diagnostic in both visual impact and attribution certainty: the two secondary lines, stacked above the primary eyelid contour, suggest either a particularly large hub displacement or a double-hubbing event where the die received three hub impressions rather than the normal two. Victor David Brenner's finely sculpted Lincoln portrait provides the canvas where the eyelid area — one of the most sensitively detailed features on any United States coin — reveals hub doubling with exceptional clarity. Collectors should examine Lincoln's eye at 10-15x magnification, looking for two distinct raised lines above the normal eyelid, then verify the die by checking the S mintmark for the straight serif MMS-005 characteristics.

Die Markers

• UVC-1658
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References