1997 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-031

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID 1997 1c WDDR-031 with no other known cross-references, this doubled die reverse on the 1997 Lincoln Memorial Cent features a distinctive bar extending from the upper head to the elbow to the left of the statue on the sixth column of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design. The reverse die markers are unusually abundant: a die gouge below the E of UNITED, a die gouge between TE of UNITED about one-third from the top, a die chip on the upper left side of the I of AMERICA, and a die chip on the left side center of the T of CENT — four distinct markers that collectively fingerprint this specific working die with high certainty. No significant obverse die markers were noted. The "bar" manifestation — where doubled die displacement creates an apparent connecting line between design elements that should not be connected — represents a visually distinctive doubling pattern on Memorial Cents, as the architectural detail of columns, statue, and interior elements creates opportunities for displaced hub impressions to form bar-like artifacts bridging adjacent features. The 1997 Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint (no mintmark on cents until 2017) in copper-plated zinc at 2.50 grams with a 19.0 mm diameter. The concentration of four die markers on the reverse — across UNITED, AMERICA, and CENT — provides exceptional die identification capability even on circulated specimens where the bar doubling detail may have worn. Collectors should examine the left side of the sixth column area under 7x to 10x magnification, looking for the connecting bar between the statue's upper head and elbow.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1997 1¢ WDDR-031
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References