1997 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-030

Description

Distinguished by an unusually rich constellation of reverse die markers, this 1997 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDR-030 offers multiple attribution points concentrated on the Memorial architecture. Die chips appear on the upper left side of the second and fourth columns, another die chip sits to the left of the center of the T in CENT, a die gouge touches the upper right side of the vertical bar of that same T, and several additional die chips cluster west of the upper and lower first memorial column. This abundance of localized die damage creates a fingerprint that makes attribution straightforward — a notable advantage given that thirty documented DDRs for the 1997-P cent means collectors must distinguish between many similar varieties. Cataloged by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1997 1c WDDR-030, no obverse die markers have been noted. The 1997 Philadelphia cent was produced without a P mintmark, following the convention maintained for cents even after other denominations adopted the P designation in 1980. The Memorial columns and architectural elements serve as ideal doubling detection zones due to their geometric precision.

Attribution History

• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1997 1¢ WDDR-030
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References