2008-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 2008-D 1¢ WDDR-001, this doubled die reverse was struck at the Denver Mint on one of the final Lincoln Memorial cents produced before the series transitioned to the 2009 Bicentennial designs. The coin is composed of copper-plated zinc, weighing 2.5 grams with a 19 mm diameter. The primary doubling shows on the lower right side of the sixth column, positioned to the left of the statue's right hand and legs within Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse design. Obverse die markers include small die gouges to the left and to the right of the upper N of IN. On the reverse, a die gouge sits between the E and D of UNITED, a small die gouge appears south of the first S in STATES, and a die scratch runs northeast from the right side of the N in ONE. These multiple die markers across both sides provide a robust set of diagnostics for proper attribution. As the WDDR-001 designation indicates, this was the first doubled die reverse variety cataloged for the 2008-D date, though the designation numbering does not necessarily reflect discovery order. The 2008-D cent had a mintage of approximately 2.8 billion pieces from the Denver Mint, and the coin holds a special place in numismatic history as one of the last Lincoln Memorial cents before the design changeover. The Memorial reverse served the Lincoln cent series for 49 years from 1959 through 2008, and doubled die varieties from its final year offer collectors an opportunity to own a variety from the closing chapter of this long-running design, with WDDR-001 representing the first cataloged doubled die reverse from Denver's 2008 production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Serbonich Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2008-D 1¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References