2018 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Light extra thickness on designer Lyndall Bass's LB initials and on E PLURIBUS defines WDDR-003 for the 2018 Lincoln Shield Cent — a variety from the current reverse design that replaced the Memorial reverse in 2010. The Shield Cent reverse, featuring a union shield with vertical stripes and a banner reading ONE CENT, was designed by Bass and has been in production since 2010 as part of the permanent Lincoln Cent redesign. Hub doubling manifesting on the designer's initials is an especially interesting diagnostic because these small, precisely rendered letters respond sensitively to even minor hub displacement. Reverse die markers provide additional attribution support: multiple die chips above O of ONE, a die chip below the right side of E in CENT, and a die chip well to the right of the lower second A in AMERICA. No obverse die markers have been noted. Three DDRs cataloged for the 2018 date reflects the ongoing variety research applied to modern Shield Cent production, where Philadelphia strikes billions of cents annually. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID: 2018 1¢ WDDR-003, with no additional cross-references known, this variety demonstrates that hub doubling continues to occur on contemporary U.S. coinage despite advances in modern die manufacturing technology and quality control procedures.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 2018 1¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References