The Riddle of the 1949-S DDO's

[wavysteps2003]

I bet you are all wondering "what is he talking about now"?

First, let us start off with an interesting fact. In the decade of 1940, 11 different font styles were used for the 4 digit for the Lincoln cent. How can that be if there are only 10 dates? 10 dates but one date, the 1949 used two different 4 digits on three working dies ([?] more maybe out there]. That is where the riddle starts.

Recently, I have changed my mind and now believe that the dates were actually engraved into the master die instead of been punched; the evidence is there that this was the practice used by the MINT. So now we have three working dies from San Francisco that have a blunt top 4 over a sharp point 4 (the 11th 4 digit for that decade). That is the first mystery; "why did the MINT used two different fonts (or actually the engraver). The second and actually bigger mystery is that while the first three digits of the three doubled dies for 1949 show doubling, the fourth digit (the 9) does not. Even if you crank up the scope to 100 X power, no doubling on that digit.

Now don't go thinking that the engraver reworked the three working dies for then there would not be doubled dies, unless by astronomical odds the three picked were already doubled in the first place. Even then, that would not explain the last digit not showing any doubling.

The last part of this puzzle is that the dies were made at Philadelphia and then shipped to San Francisco where they had the mint mark applied.

Just a little food for thought.

BJ Neff

[eagames]

They puzzle the attributors too.

I've seen them in slabs as DDO die-1 with and without the RPM.
(so the TPGs don't know die-2 from die-1)

[JRocco]

Great stuff BJ.
I am going to have to dig out my 49S DDO's and study them better.
I remember finding a 49P that had some weird stuff going on that looked like a pointed top 4 was lapped down prior to punching the flat topped 4 on top of it. I still have the pics I took back then, but darned if I have any clue where the coin is.

[eagames]

Here's one:

Note the blunt over pointed 4.

[Bob P]

It wasn't until last year before I discovered the 1949S DDO with the RPM. They were in my collection as the DDO 1, and I had 4 specimens. I was analyzing the blunt 4 over pointed 4 when I found the RPM. Even then, the mintmark placement is very close, and it took an overlay to confirm they were different. All of mine are circulated examples which is probably why I missed it originally. I think I found all 4 of my examples about 10-12 years ago. What I would like to see is a BU example of the DDO/RPM. Does anyone have one?

[coppercoins]

Bob - I don't think one is known to date. There are only a short handful of known examples, period.