1959 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

As the inaugural year of the Lincoln Memorial reverse, 1959 holds special significance in the cent series, and WDDR-001 represents the primary doubled die reverse for this transitional issue. Cataloged by the Wexler Team under variety ID 1959 1¢ WDDR-001 with no known cross-references, the doubling manifests as extra thickness on USA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, ONE CENT, and the designer's initials FG (Frank Gasparro). Two distinct obverse-reverse die pairings are documented. Obverse Stage A features a die scratch running south-southwest to north-northeast above the right side of the R in LIBERTY and four strong die gouges extending from the rim at about 3:00. Obverse Stage B pairs a new obverse die with a horizontal die scratch below the 19 in the date. Reverse Stage A carries a die gouge under the right side of the N in UNITED and die scratches running northwest-to-southeast through the ED in UNITED, along with numerous other scratches throughout. Reverse Stage B shows most Stage A die scratches no longer visible due to progressive die polishing. The first-year Memorial reverse context elevates collector interest in this variety.

Attribution History

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1959 1¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References