2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-047

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-3198 and DMR-049, this 2005 Lincoln Memorial Cent DDR-047 displays medium spread west manifesting as an extra column at position #7, spanning from the knee to the ankle area of the seated Lincoln statue — the doubling slightly rotated clockwise relative to the primary impression. The extra column effect is one of the most visually dramatic forms of Memorial reverse doubled die varieties, because the architectural colonnade of the Lincoln Memorial design means that hub displacement in certain directions creates what appears to be an additional structural column within the building facade. Four documented die stages map this die's production life: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B at early-to-mid die state (EMDS) is identified by a light die crack in the frieze above column #2, with the obverse also at EMDS; Stage C is mid-die-state (MDS, unconfirmed); and Stage D is late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The frieze die crack above column #2 in Stage B provides the most reliable marker for die state determination, as this crack would have progressively widened and extended through subsequent die states. The Lincoln Memorial Cent in 2005 was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.5 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Frank Gasparro designed the Memorial reverse with its detailed architectural rendering including twelve columns, the seated Lincoln statue, and the inscribed frieze — intricate design elements that produce particularly complex doubled die manifestations because the many linear and geometric features interact with hub displacement vectors in varied ways. The 47th cataloged DDR for the 2005 date illustrates the substantial variety population generated by high-volume cent production.

Die Markers

• UVC-3198
• DMR-049
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack in frieze above column # 2 – EMDS
• Obverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage D:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References