1957 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-011

Description

Eleventh reverse doubled die cataloged for the 1957 Lincoln wheat cent, DDR-011 presents light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and both upper wheat ears on the reverse designed by Victor David Brenner. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1906 and DMR-019, documenting three die stages with progressively increasing detail: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both reverse and obverse surfaces have reached mid die state, and Stage C where the reverse has advanced to late die state accompanied by a die chip on the bust above V.D.B. — the designer's initials that were restored to the reverse in 1918 after their controversial removal in 1909. The die chip at the V.D.B. area in Stage C provides a uniquely useful die state marker, as it develops only on well-worn specimens and its presence or absence immediately establishes whether a given example represents an early, middle, or late impression from this die. The "Proof" comment confirms this is a proof-only variety, struck at Philadelphia with polished dies for the 1957 proof set. Philadelphia produced approximately 1.25 million proof sets in 1957, the highest proof production to that point in Mint history, reflecting the intense collector demand that characterized the 1950s proof set boom. Light spread on both the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM and the wheat ears covers design elements at different heights within the reverse, suggesting a broad hub displacement that affected the full die surface. The wheat ears' organic, curved form and fine parallel grain lines make them particularly sensitive indicators of even subtle doubling, as the regular spacing of the grain details amplifies visible displacement. Collectors should examine the upper wheat ear tips and the EPU motto under 15-20x magnification, then check the V.D.B. area for the die chip to establish die state.

Die Markers

• UVC-1906
• DMR-019
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Reverse is LDS
• Die chip on bust above V. D. B. – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Harry Ellis
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References