1957 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-013

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die identification UVC-1908 and DMR-021, this 1957 Lincoln Wheat Cent DDR-013 presents light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and both upper wheat ears — a selective doubling pattern concentrated on the motto and the grain-bearing tips of the wheat stalks that flank the denomination. The wheat ears' fine parallel grain lines amplify even light hub displacement, making these botanical elements among the most sensitive doubling indicators on the Wheat Cent reverse. Three die stages chart the die's service life: Stage A at early die state (EDS), unconfirmed; Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS) with numerous die scratches on the reverse and two strong die scratches running south from the B of LIBERTY at late die state; and Stage C at late die state (LDS), unconfirmed. The Stage B documentation reveals an interesting cross-face diagnostic pattern — the strong die scratches from the B of LIBERTY are on the obverse despite being noted in a reverse-focused die stage catalog, indicating the obverse die was also experiencing significant surface deterioration at mid-die-state with deeply incised parallel scratches running away from LIBERTY. The 1957 Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. This date holds particular significance as the penultimate year of wheat stalk reverse production — the design served from 1909 through 1958 before being replaced by Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse in 1959. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The thirteenth cataloged DDR for 1957 demonstrates that even in the final years of the Wheat Cent design, the Philadelphia Mint's high-volume production continued to generate identifiable doubled die varieties.

Die Markers

• UVC-1908
• DMR-021
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Numerous die scratches on Reverse – MDS
• Two strong die scratches South from B of LIBERTY – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charles Bondurant
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References