1949-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Carrying VarietyVista codes UVC-1777 / DMR-013 and cross-referenced as Cherrypickers FS-101, this 1949-S Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-001 is the primary doubled die obverse variety for the date-mint combination, featuring medium spread on the digits 194 of the date with extra thickness on IN GOD WE TRUST, plus the distinctive blunt-top 4 over pointed-top 4 diagnostic shared with DDO-002 but representing a different working die. The FS-101 Cherrypickers designation confirms this as a variety worth actively searching for in rolls and sets, listed in the Fivaz-Stanton reference guide that serves as the standard attribution handbook for variety cherry-picking. Four documented die stages track an unusually detailed progression: Stage A in early die state (EDS) with die scratches running north-south on both the obverse and reverse; Stage B with both in mid-die-state (MDS); Stage C with both in late-mid die state (LMDS); and Stage D in late die state (LDS) showing new die scratch patterns on both obverse and reverse — the emergence of new scratch patterns in Stage D suggesting possible die reworking or additional maintenance that introduced fresh surface marks near the end of the die's service life. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1949 in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait, and the four-stage die documentation provides collectors with the most detailed die-state progression available for a 1949-S Wheat Cent variety, enabling precise attribution of individual specimens to specific production windows within this die's working life.

Die Markers

• UVC-1777
• DMR-013
• Stage A:
• Die scratches North-South on Obverse – EDS
• Die scratches North-South on Reverse – EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LMDS
• Stage D:
• New die scratch pattern on Obverse – LDS
• New die scratch pattern on Reverse – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by G. J. Lawson
• FS-101
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References