1998 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-009

Description

Ninth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1998 Lincoln Memorial cent, DDR-009 displays medium spread with counter-clockwise rotation, producing an extra column number 7 visible from the shin to the pedestal of the seated Lincoln figure within Frank Gasparro's memorial facade. The rotational component — counter-clockwise — distinguishes this variety from the purely directional (westward) spread seen on many other Lincoln Memorial DDRs, as it indicates the secondary hub impression was angularly displaced rather than simply shifted laterally. VarietyVista documented this die under UVC-3234 and DMR-011, tracking three die stages: Stage A where both reverse and obverse surfaces exhibit confirmed early die state characteristics, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The EDS confirmation for Stage A ensures specimens with fresh die surfaces have been verified. The RDV-007 reverse design variant notation connects DDR-009 to the hub lineage that characterizes the phantom column family of late-1990s Lincoln Memorial cent DDRs. Philadelphia struck approximately 5.03 billion cents in 1998, a massive output that consumed thousands of working dies. The shin-to-pedestal range of the extra column documents the lower portion of the ghost seventh column — the area from the seated figure's lower leg down to the memorial floor and pedestal base. The CCW rotation component means the phantom column's position shifts slightly relative to a purely lateral displacement, potentially creating a subtle angular offset that can serve as a secondary diagnostic for distinguishing DDR-009 from other phantom column varieties that show strictly westward spread. Collectors should examine the lower interior of the memorial between columns six and seven under 10-15x magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-3234
• DMR-011
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References