1960 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-024
ErrorDescription
Bearing the Wexler designation 1960 1¢ Pr WDDO-024, this doubled die obverse variety on the 1960 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof Small Date was created when a misalignment between successive hub impressions produced visible doubling on the obverse design elements. The proof strike format — employing polished dies on specially prepared planchets struck multiple times — yields the mirror-like fields and frosted devices that distinguish proof coinage from business strikes, and these reflective surfaces can actually aid the detection of doubled die characteristics by providing enhanced contrast at design edges. The Small Date hub, identified by the uniformly proportioned date numerals where all four digits sit at a similar height, places this die in the later phase of Philadelphia's 1960 proof cent production after the mid-year transition from the Large Date design. Collectors should examine the obverse legends and portrait details under magnification to identify the doubled die diagnostics, paying close attention to LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date numerals where hub doubling most commonly manifests on Lincoln Memorial cent obverse dies. With proof dies typically retired after approximately 3,000 impressions, the total population carrying this doubling is tightly bounded. No other cross-references have been assigned, and the variety awaits fuller documentation of its specific die markers.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Wexler Team