2008 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-2993 and DMR-003, DDR-001 on the 2008 Lincoln Memorial Cent exhibits a medium spread west that manifests as an extra column number 7, visible as a ghosted vertical line running from shoulder height to knee height on the Lincoln Memorial building. This phantom column effect is among the most visually dramatic doubled die signatures on Memorial cents because the architectural columns provide high-contrast parallel reference lines against which any displacement becomes immediately apparent. Four die stages have been identified: Stage A in early die state remains unconfirmed, Stage B shows a die chip on upper column number 12 with the obverse in early-to-mid die state, Stage C in mid die state is unconfirmed, and Stage D in late die state is also unconfirmed. The multi-stage documentation indicates this working die saw extended production use, with the Stage B die chip on column 12 providing the most reliable attribution marker for confirmed specimens. The 2008 Lincoln Memorial Cent holds historical significance as the final year of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse, which was retired after 2008 to make way for four commemorative reverses in 2009 honoring Lincoln's bicentennial. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19.05 mm in diameter, this variety rewards careful examination of the columns between the statue and the right side of the Memorial facade, where the medium westward spread produces the clearest separation between primary and secondary column images.

Die Markers

• UVC-2993
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die chip on upper column #12 – EMDS
• Obverse is EMDS
• Stage C:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage D:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References