1999 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-026

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as Wexler Variety ID 1999 1c WDDR-026 with no other known cross-references, this doubled die reverse on the 1999 Lincoln Memorial Cent shows doubling on the lower left side of the 7th column to the right of the statue's feet and the upper pedestal, with slight doubling also visible on the bottom of the statue's left foot inside Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial rendering. No significant obverse die markers were noted. The reverse die markers include a short but strong die gouge running SW to NE on the roof north of the third Memorial bay, plus a strong die gouge to the right of the second A in AMERICA. The foot-and-pedestal doubling creates a distinctive diagnostic pattern: the seated Lincoln statue's feet rest on a small pedestal above the Memorial floor, and hub displacement in this area produces a secondary impression that shifts the foot and pedestal relationship, sometimes creating the appearance of a floating or displaced foot above its expected position. This variety's concentration in the column and pedestal region — the architectural and sculptural heart of the Memorial design — makes it one of the more visually engaging DDR patterns on Memorial Cents, where the doubling affects recognizable structural elements rather than abstract letterforms. The 1999 Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc at 2.50 grams with a 19.0 mm diameter. The two strong die gouges — on the roof and near AMERICA — provide reliable die authentication markers at positions well separated from the doubling zone, allowing independent confirmation of die identity under 7x magnification before proceeding to examine the column-foot-pedestal area for the doubling itself.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1999 1¢ WDDR-026
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References