1945-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-009

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-1699 with die marriage DMR-026, this 1945 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent exhibits a medium doubled die obverse with extra thickness visible on the date, IN GOD WE TRUST, and LIBERTY. Three die stages have been documented: Stage A represents the early die state, Stage B shows a light die crack running south from the button hole and a light die crack on the forehead extending to the eye at mid-die state with the reverse also at mid-die state, and Stage C is the late die state. The die cracks at Stage B appearing on both the button area and the forehead-to-eye path indicate stress fractures developing along natural weak points in the die surface. Struck in the shell-case alloy used during 1944 and 1945, these Lincoln Cents were produced from recycled brass cartridge casings as part of the wartime conservation effort, giving them a slightly different appearance from the standard bronze composition used before and after the war years. The Denver Mint maintained heavy cent production in 1945 as the war drew to a close and the economy transitioned toward peacetime needs. The medium extra thickness across multiple obverse inscriptions provides several diagnostic areas for collectors examining this variety under magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-1699
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack South from button hole – MDS
• Light die crack on forehead to eye
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Franzen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References