1976 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Listed as DDO-001 in the VarietyVista catalog for the 1976 Lincoln Memorial cent, this doubled die obverse displays strong extra thickness on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date. The doubling affects the most prominent design elements on Lincoln's obverse — the motto, the date numerals, and the word LIBERTY — making this one of the more visually accessible doubled die varieties for the 1976 Philadelphia date. Die markers recorded for this variety include Universal Variety Code UVC-2334 and Die Marriage Record DMR-002, identifiers that allow collectors and dealers to locate this specific die in the VarietyVista catalog system and confirm that a candidate specimen originated from the correct die pair. The Philadelphia Mint struck its 1976 cents without a mint mark, as was standard practice before 1980. Although 1976 was the nation's Bicentennial year with special reverse designs appearing on quarters, half dollars, and dollars, the Lincoln cent continued with its unchanged Memorial reverse, and the cent production process at Philadelphia proceeded at normal high volumes. The strong extra thickness on three major design elements — rather than subtle, localized doubling visible only under high magnification — makes DDO-001 a variety that attentive collectors can potentially detect during roll searching or at coin shows without specialized equipment, though magnification is always recommended for definitive attribution. Attribution by VarietyVista.

Die Markers

• UVC-2334; DMR-002

External References