1960 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003
Error
Description
Arguably the most remarkable doubled die obverse in the 1960 proof cent series, WDDO-003 on the Proof Small Date is at minimum a tripled die — and almost certainly a quadrupled die — created by at least three and likely four distinct hub impressions with measurable misalignment. The sequence involves at least a Large Date hubbed over a Large Date hubbed over a Small Date, producing a spread to the east on the letters of LIBERTY and a spread towards the center with extra thickness on the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST. The most dramatic evidence of the multiple hubbings appears on the lower R of TRUST, where four distinct notches indicate four separate hub impressions, each slightly displaced from the others. This level of multiplication — where the die received three or more hub impressions before being placed into service — is exceptionally rare in the Lincoln Memorial cent series and places WDDO-003 in a category shared by very few U.S. coin varieties of any denomination. The proof format further constrains the population, as individual proof dies at Philadelphia were typically retired after approximately 3,000 impressions. No other cross-references have been assigned, and the combination of quadrupled die status, proof scarcity, and the multi-hub-type sequence makes this one of the most numismatically significant 1960 cent varieties.
Die Markers
- Obverse: A large die dent can be found south of the back of the mouth. A short die gouge runs WSW from the rim above the R in TRUST. Reverse: A short, strong vertical die die gouge can be found inside the center right side of the C in CENT. A die scratch runs from SW to NE at the top of the 4th Memorial bay. A die scratch runs from SW to NE about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the 5th Memorial bay.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Wexler Team