1955-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1859 and DMR-017, this 1955-D Lincoln Wheat Cent DDO-002 presents a strong extra eyelid displaced to the south — a visually compelling doubled die feature where the hub misalignment produced a clearly visible secondary eyelid impression below Lincoln's primary eyelid, creating a distinctive doubled appearance on one of the portrait's most finely detailed anatomical features. The southward eyelid displacement occurs because the secondary hub impression shifted slightly downward relative to the primary, and the thin, precisely engraved eyelid — one of the most delicate elements of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait — amplifies even small displacement magnitudes into visible secondary contours. Three die stages are documented: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS) shows a die crack running from the left wheat lines to the rim on the reverse; and Stage C at late die state (LDS) introduces a die chip in the left wheat lines plus another die chip from the left wheat lines extending to the rim — progression from crack to chip documenting the structural deterioration of the reverse die through its service life. The 1955-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The 1955 date is particularly notable in Lincoln Cent collecting because of the famous 1955 Doubled Die Obverse (the Philadelphia Mint issue, one of numismatics' most celebrated varieties), making the 1955-D DDO-002 an interesting companion piece from the Denver facility within the same date. The strong southward eyelid doubling can be detected under 5x to 7x magnification by examining Lincoln's eye area for the characteristic secondary lid contour below the primary.

Die Markers

• UVC-1859
• DMR-017
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Die crack Left wheat lines to rim – MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die chip in Left wheat lines – LDS
• Die chip Left wheat lines to rim

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Patterson
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References