1946-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-007

Description

VarietyVista catalogs this 1946-D Lincoln Wheat Cent doubled die as DDO-007 with die markers UVC-2928 and DMR-032, documenting a strong spread — but light hubbing — directed southward that manifests as an extra eyelid on Lincoln's portrait. The "strong spread but light hubbing South" classification means the hub displacement direction was oriented downward (south) on the die face, and while the linear distance of the displacement was significant enough to qualify as "strong spread," the pressure or completeness of the secondary hub impression was light, producing a ghostly rather than deeply struck secondary image. The extra eyelid is perhaps the most visually compelling diagnostic: the southward displacement shifted the secondary impression of the eye area downward, creating a distinct second eyelid line below the primary one on Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait — an effect that is both unmistakable under magnification and occasionally visible to the unaided eye on well-preserved specimens. Stage A die markers include a die scratch running from the 9 of the date to Lincoln's vest in Early Die State, with the reverse also in EDS. Stages B (Mid Die State) and C (Late Die State) remain unconfirmed, indicating that all documented specimens so far represent the earliest period of this die's production life. The 1946-D was struck at the Denver Mint in 95% copper / 5% tin-zinc composition at 3.11 grams, part of the first full year of post-World War II cent production after the wartime steel (1943) and shell case copper (1944-1945) compositions were retired. Collectors should examine the eye area under 10x magnification with north-south oriented raking light to best resolve the extra eyelid feature.

Die Markers

• UVC-2928
• DMR-032
• Stage A:
• Die scratch from 9 of date to vest – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References