2003 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-015

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-3221 and DMR-018, DDR-015 on the 2003 Lincoln Memorial Cent displays medium spread rotated counterclockwise, producing an extra column #6 (from ankle to foot) and an extra column #7 (from knee to shin) with a set of feet visible between the legs of the Lincoln Memorial. Three die stages document the working die's progression: Stage A shows the reverse and obverse in early die state (EDS), Stage B is mid-die-state (MDS, unconfirmed), and Stage C is late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The counterclockwise rotated spread pattern is mechanically significant — it indicates the hub was slightly rotated relative to the die between impressions, creating angular displacement that varies across the die face. The concentration of visible doubling on the memorial columns and the feet between the legs reflects the architectural detail sensitivity of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse, where the fine vertical lines of the memorial columns and the small statue of Lincoln between them provide excellent diagnostic surfaces for detecting rotational hub displacement. The 2003 Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (2.500 grams, 19.05 mm diameter), with Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait on the obverse. Column-focused doubling on Memorial Cents is among the most sought-after reverse doubled die patterns in the series, as the architectural detail provides clear, measurable displacement reference points for collectors.

Die Markers

• UVC-3221
• DMR-018
• 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