1946-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-008

Description

Eighth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1946-S Lincoln wheat cent, DDO-008 exhibits medium spread on the motto IN GOD WE with lighter displacement affecting the word LIBERTY. The dual-zone doubling — medium on the motto and light on LIBERTY — suggests a hub displacement angle that produced stronger separation in the upper obverse field where IN GOD WE sits and diminishing displacement as the doubling extends leftward across LIBERTY. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-0276 and DMR-035, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces reach mid die state, and Stage C where both surfaces have progressed to late die state. The confirmed MDS and LDS observations at Stages B and C establish that specimens exist showing progressive die wear, providing collectors with documented die state benchmarks. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln obverse, in continuous use since 1909, provides the familiar canvas where motto and inscription doubling diagnostics are most commonly identified. San Francisco struck approximately 198.1 million cents in 1946, a substantial post-war output that generated significant die usage. The comments note that the mintmark is classified as MMS-004 with a trumpet tail — a distinctive mintmark style where the S shows a flared or trumpet-shaped lower terminal, providing an independent visual diagnostic for confirming the correct die. The medium spread on IN GOD WE positions this variety above the light-only DDOs in collector desirability, as the doubling is visible under moderate magnification without requiring extreme enlargement. Collectors should examine the motto area first under 10-15x magnification for the medium spread, then verify the trumpet tail S mintmark as a secondary confirmation.

Die Markers

• UVC-0276
• DMR-035
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Harry Ellis
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References