1998 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-022

Description

Philadelphia's 1998 cent production of 5,032,155,000 pieces — surpassing five billion for the first time — made the year a statistical goldmine for doubled die discovery, and WDDR-022 stands as the twenty-second cataloged DDR from that record-setting production run. Cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID 1998 1-cent WDDR-022 with no other known attributions, the Wexler Team identified this variety during the systematic examination of late-1990s Lincoln Memorial Cents that was a primary focus of die variety research during this period. The Memorial reverse, in its thirty-ninth year of continuous production by 1998, had been examined by more variety specialists for a longer period than virtually any other U.S. coin design, and the accumulated expertise in identifying hub doubling on its architectural elements had reached a high level of refinement. The twenty-two documented DDRs for 1998 confirm that this production year, with its unprecedented volume, generated numerous hub alignment events during die manufacturing that left identifiable doubling on the finished dies. Each variety represents a distinct die where the hub made contact at a slightly different angle, rotation, or displacement from the intended position, and the specific pattern of doubling on each die's struck coins serves as the variety's unique diagnostic signature. Collectors should examine the Memorial's columns, steps, and lettering areas where hub displacement is most readily detected on this design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tony Russo Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1998 1¢ WDDR-022
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References