1962 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Among the earliest-numbered proof doubled die obverse varieties in the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent catalog, Proof WDDO-003 displays a strong counterclockwise spread from a pivot point at approximately 10 o'clock, with the resulting displacement clearly visible on the date, Lincoln's eyelid, and the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST. The CCW rotation from a high-left pivot projects its maximum angular displacement onto design elements in the lower-right and central portions of the obverse, which explains why the date, the portrait's eye area, and the TRUST letters all received pronounced secondary impressions while elements nearer to the pivot show minimal effect. The proof production environment at the Philadelphia Mint intensifies the visual impact of this Class V pivoted hub doubling: the mirror-like fields created by specially polished dies provide exceptional contrast against Lincoln's frosted portrait, rendering the doubled eyelid with a clarity rarely achievable on business strikes where luster and contact marks compete for the viewer's attention. Obverse die markers include a short diagonal scratch northeast of the 2 in the date, a scratch running northwest-southeast west of the bowtie, a scratch oriented north-northwest to south-southeast near the bottom front of the vest south of the numeral 1, and a well-abraded vest surface bearing numerous north-northwest to south-southeast scratches. On the reverse, a short vertical scratch appears above the right side of the first T in STATES. Each proof die typically served for approximately 3,000 strikes before being retired, constraining the potential surviving population of this variety to a fraction of the 3,218,019 proof sets produced at Philadelphia in 1962 — the final year that proof Lincoln cents were struck in the original 95% copper alloy composition. The multiple obverse markers concentrated around the vest area make this variety one of the more readily attributable proof DDOs in the early portion of the WDDO sequence.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A short, diagonal die scratch can be found NE of the 2. A die scratch runs from NW to SE well west of the bowtie. A die scratch runs from NNW to SSE near the bottom front of the vest south of the 1 in the date. The vest is well abraded with numerous other NNW to SSE die scratches. Reverse: A short, vertical die scratch can be found above the right side of the 1st T in STATES.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References