1997 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-018

Description

Among the architectural anomalies found on Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse, this 1997-D cent displays a bar extending from the upper knee to the lower leg on the right side of the Lincoln statue at the seventh column. Column errors like this one arise when a misaligned or rotated hub impresses extra elements during die preparation, leaving ghost-like architectural remnants that collectors prize as diagnostic markers. Struck at the Denver Mint, this variety is cataloged by the Wexler Team as WDDR-018. Obverse die markers include a die chip in the field west of Lincoln's right shoulder and another die chip located above the mint mark and between the 1 and first 9 in the date. On the reverse, die chips can be found in the center of and to the right side of the O in ONE. These die markers confirm the specific die pair and help authenticate the variety when the bar itself is subtle under lower magnification. Collectors of Memorial cent doubled dies seek column errors as visually dramatic examples of the die-doubling process.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1997-D 1¢ WDDR-018

External References