1961 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-013

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1961 1¢ Pr WDDO-013, this Proof doubled die obverse variety from the 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent displays a close spread towards the center on the date and the inscription WE TRUST. The centripetal direction of the spread — inward toward the coin's center rather than outward toward the rim — reflects a Class II distorted hub doubling event in which the secondary hub impression was displaced inward relative to the first. The Proof striking process, with its multiple impressions on polished planchets using specially prepared dies, renders this inward shift particularly visible on well-preserved specimens. Obverse die markers include a short, vertical die gouge just to the right of the center of the E in WE, along with parallel die scratches running from SSW to NNE near the bottom of the center fold in the coat — diagnostics that provide reliable attribution points beyond the doubling itself. The reverse carries several die scratches running from NNW to SSE through the left base of the Memorial, the left post, and the left side of the steps, offering additional confirmation for variety specialists. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are known. As the thirteenth and final entry in the 1961 DDO sequence, WDDO-013 rounds out a substantial family of doubled die obverse varieties for this Proof date, reflecting the era's susceptibility to hubbing misalignment across multiple working dies prepared for Proof production at Philadelphia.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1961 1¢ Pr WDDO-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References