1949-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Medium southward hub doubling manifesting as an extra eyelid — a secondary line paralleling Lincoln's eyelid below the primary feature — characterizes this second doubled die obverse for the 1949-D Lincoln Wheat Cent, cataloged by VarietyVista. The "extra eyelid" is one of the most recognizable forms of doubled die attribution on Lincoln Cents, because the fine detail of Victor David Brenner's portrait makes even moderate hub displacement visible in the facial area. When the working hub re-engaged the die at a slightly southward offset during the second hubbing impression, Lincoln's delicate eyelid detail received a displaced secondary impression that creates the appearance of a doubled or extra eyelid. Die stage documentation records UVC-3377, DMR-013, with Stage A showing both obverse and reverse at early die state, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The 1949-D was a Denver Mint product from the post-World War II era, when cent production was ramping back up after wartime disruptions that had included the 1943 zinc-coated steel cents and the 1944-1945 shell case brass composition. By 1949, the standard bronze composition had been fully restored. Denver struck over 153 million cents in 1949, consuming numerous die pairs. As DDO-002, this variety sits behind the premier DDO-001 in significance but remains an important attribution target for Wheat Cent doubled die collectors who value the extra eyelid diagnostic.

Die Markers

• UVC-3377
• DMR-013
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References