2008-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005

Description

Doubling on the lower left side of the seventh column to the right of the statue's knees marks this fifth doubled die reverse for the 2008-D Lincoln Memorial Cent — the final year of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse design. The Wexler Team attributed this variety with the designation 2008-D 1c WDDR-005, noting no other known cross-references. A small die gouge below the left side of the second zero in the date serves as the obverse diagnostic marker, while the reverse carries two confirmatory features: a small die gouge below the A in STATES and another below and between the O and N in ONE. The 2008 date holds terminal significance in Lincoln Cent history — after forty-nine years of continuous production since 1959, the Memorial reverse would be replaced by four rotating Bicentennial designs in 2009 followed by the Union Shield reverse in 2010. Denver's 2008 cent production contributed to the final generation of Memorial reverses, and varieties from this closing year attract particular attention from specialists documenting the complete die variety record of Gasparro's iconic design. Doubling on the columnar detail of the Memorial facade requires careful examination, as the fine architectural elements are small enough that hub displacement manifests as subtle line additions rather than dramatic letter spreading.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Serbonich Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2008-D 1¢ WDDR-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References