1970-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-024

Description

Sharing its reverse die with WDDO-018A — a connection that provides valuable insight into Denver Mint die management practices — WDDO-024 on the 1970-D Lincoln Memorial cent displays doubling above the 7 in the date on a heavily abraded obverse die. Cross-referenced as Coppercoins 1970D-1DO-006, this variety's shared reverse die establishes that the Denver Mint recycled reverse dies across different obverse pairings, a common practice that allowed the facility to maximize die utilization by swapping components independently when one member of a die pair failed while the other remained serviceable. The shared reverse die also means that reverse die markers alone cannot distinguish WDDO-024 from WDDO-018A — only the obverse markers and the specific doubling pattern differentiate the two varieties. Four die states document the die's service history across both surfaces. The obverse progresses through two stages characterized by heavy abrading — the Mint's die maintenance technique of polishing the die face to remove minor defects and extend service life, though in this case the extensive abrading suggests the die required significant surface reconditioning. Clash marks from two Memorial bays are visible on the obverse, evidence that this die pair experienced at least one strike without an intervening planchet. The reverse tracks through its own two stages, with die scratches threading through the date area at 197 and clash remnants persisting in the fourth bay of the Memorial. That the die was abraded heavily enough to warrant specific notation yet continued in service afterward illustrates the economic pressures that drove the Mint to extend die life whenever possible, even at some cost to surface quality. Die Markers: Obverse: The die has been heavily abraded to remove die clash marks. Parallel die scratches run from west to east through the 197.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: Coppercoins: 1970D-1DO-006
• Coppercoins: 1970D-1DO-006; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-D 1¢ WDDO-024
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References