1946 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-008

Description

Light and wide spread creates an extra eyelid to the south of Lincoln's primary eyelid, with additional displacement visible inside the upper 9 of the date, on DDO-008 of the 1946 Lincoln wheat cent. VarietyVista assigned this die UVC-1722 and DMR-014, documenting three stages: Stage A where a strong die gouge appears between GOD and WE with the die in early die state and the reverse also in EDS, Stage B at mid-die-state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The eyelid doubling — a secondary impression that produces a visible parallel ridge on or near the eye — is one of the most sought-after diagnostic features among Lincoln cent doubled die collectors because of its position on the portrait's most expressive feature. The "light and wide" classification indicates modest displacement magnitude but a broad enough separation between primary and secondary impressions to be visible without extreme magnification. The additional spread inside the upper portion of the 9 in the date provides a second confirmation point separated from the facial doubling by the full height of the portrait. The strong die gouge between GOD and WE at Stage A serves as both a die-state indicator and an attribution marker — its presence confirms the specimen was struck from this specific working die, while its "strong" characterization suggests it may diminish in later die states through progressive die polish. The 1946 wheat cent was struck in the standard 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc composition at 3.11 grams, resuming the pre-war alloy after the 1943 steel and 1944-1945 shell case cent interlude.

Die Markers

• UVC-1722
• DMR-014
• Stage A:
• Strong die gouge between GOD and WE – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References