1945-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Sixth obverse doubled die cataloged for the 1945-D Lincoln wheat cent, DDO-006 presents light spread on the letters IN GOD of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. VarietyVista documented this die under UVC-1696 and DMR-023, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces are at mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B provides collectors with a verified intermediate reference point for die state assessment. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait had been in continuous production for 36 years by 1945, the final year of World War II, when Denver struck approximately 266.3 million cents — a substantial wartime output. The researcher's commentary notes "I need to see a specimen of this doubled die for new color photos and die stage information," candidly documenting the ongoing nature of variety cataloging where some entries await updated photographic documentation to fully characterize all die stages. Light spread on IN GOD indicates a small hub displacement affecting the upper-right portion of the obverse where the motto arcs above Lincoln's head. The letters of the motto sit in a relatively clear field area where even minor doubling can be detected against the smooth surrounding surface. The high DMR number (023) for a DDO-006 suggests extensive die pair documentation across the 1945-D production run. Collectors should examine the letters IN GOD under 15-20x magnification with directed lighting, looking for slight thickening or secondary shadow on the letter strokes that indicates the displaced secondary hub impression. Specimens at the confirmed MDS Stage B offer the best balance of die freshness and attributability, retaining clear doubling detail without the obscuring effects of late die state deterioration.

Die Markers

• UVC-1696
• DMR-023
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill McMurray
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References