1960 Proof Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005
Error
Description
Spanning three reverse text elements, WDDR-005 on the 1960 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof Small Date exhibits a close spread towards the center on ONE CENT, USA, and the designer's initials. The centerward displacement involves the denomination, the country abbreviation, and the FG initials — three elements distributed across the lower half of the reverse — indicating a hub misalignment that influenced a meaningful portion of the reverse die during manufacture. The close nature of the spread requires patient examination under magnification, as the secondary hub impression sits near the primary on each affected element. The reverse carries detailed diagnostics that aid attribution: specific die markers documented on this die allow collectors to confirm the working die identity before attempting to verify the subtle doubling. The Small Date proof designation places this variety in the later 1960 proof production phase at Philadelphia, after the mid-year hub transition. Because proof dies were typically limited to approximately 3,000 impressions before retirement, the total population of WDDR-005 is inherently constrained. The proof surface finish provides a modest detection advantage, as the mirror-like fields create higher contrast against any displaced design elements in the denomination and legend areas. Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1960 1¢ Pr WDDR-005 with no other known cross-references.
Die Markers
- Obverse: None noted. Reverse: A short vertical die gouge can be found to the left of the upper second A in AMERICA. Two diagonal die scratches can be found on the right base of the Memorial. A nearly horizontal die scratch can be found near the top of the sixth Memorial bay. A short diagonal die gouge can be found near the top of the third bay. A small die gouge (dot) can be found between the centers of the E and N in CENT.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Wexler Team