1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-027

Description

Among the more broadly affected doubled die obverse varieties for the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-027 exhibits extra thickness across three major inscription zones — the date, LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST — indicating that the working hub displacement was of sufficient magnitude and geometry to impart a secondary impression spanning nearly the entire obverse. The most diagnostically useful feature is a clear separation line visible at the top of the 6 in the date, where the secondary image pulls away from the primary device just enough to create a discernible gap rather than mere thickening. This separation line transforms the 6 from a general thickening indicator into a precise attribution point, because the exact location and width of the gap will differ from other WDDO varieties that also show broadly distributed extra thickness. The variety carries the Wexler Variety ID 1962 1c WDDO-027, with no additional cross-references currently known. It was struck at the Philadelphia Mint as a business-strike issue during the final year of the original copper alloy composition, when over 606 million Lincoln cents were coined from obverse dies designed by Victor David Brenner. Reverse die markers include chips on the upper portions of the first two Memorial columns and the last three columns — a pattern of column-top chipping that may indicate this reverse die was beginning to show fatigue from sustained production use. These reverse markers provide a convenient screening tool before the collector proceeds to the more demanding obverse examination.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1962 1¢ WDDO-027
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References