1960-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team under identifier 1960-D 1¢ WDDO-004, this Denver-minted Lincoln cent features slight doubling at the top of the L in LIBERTY — a subtle but diagnostically significant marker that places it among the Small Date variety for the 1960-D issue. The 1960 cent is famously split between Large Date and Small Date sub-varieties, a distinction created when the Mint introduced a new hub with a smaller, more refined date font partway through the year's production. WDDO-004 falls on the Small Date side, and its doubling — while described as slight — is confirmed through multiple die markers that anchor attribution. On the obverse, a light die scratch runs northward from the six in the date, providing a secondary diagnostic visible without reference to the doubling itself. The reverse carries three die chips: one inside the bottom of the U in UNITED, another on the left side of the left Memorial base, and a third on the top left of the E in ONE. These multiple, geographically distributed die markers create a reliable fingerprint for confirming the specific die even when the obverse doubling is worn or ambiguous on lower-grade specimens. Denver produced over 1.5 billion cents in 1960, and the Small Date sub-variety within that output has long attracted collector attention independent of any doubled die characteristics, making WDDO-004 a variety that appeals to both attribution specialists and date-variety set builders.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None
• None; Wexler Variety ID: 1960-D 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References