1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-010

Description

Displaying one of the broadest doubling footprints among the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent regular-strike varieties, WDDO-010 shows strong extra thickness on the date, the letters of LIBERTY, and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST — an extensive coverage area that indicates the working hub displacement affected virtually every major obverse inscription. The Wexler Variety ID 1962 1¢ WDDO-010 identifies this as a Wexler-attributed variety with no additional cross-references currently known. Extra thickness, in the context of doubled die classification, describes a broadening of the design elements rather than a clearly separated secondary image: the letters and digits appear heavier or bolder than normal, as though struck from a die with slightly oversize characters, because the secondary hub impression fell so close to the primary that the two images merged into a single widened element rather than producing visible separation. Despite this near-overlap, careful examination under 10x magnification often reveals subtle notching or irregularity along the edges of affected letters — the telltale sign that the extra width derives from two superimposed images rather than an unusually deep hub impression. On the obverse, a small die gouge between the lower E and R of LIBERTY provides a discrete identification marker. The reverse is classified as very late die state (VLDS), meaning that documented specimens come from near the end of this die pair's production life, when die deterioration has advanced significantly and surface details on the reverse have begun to soften and blur. The VLDS reverse classification suggests that earlier die states may exist but have not yet been positively identified, representing an open discovery opportunity for variety specialists.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1962 1¢ WDDO-010
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References