1963-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-050

Description

Marking the fiftieth cataloged Doubled Die Obverse for the 1963-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-050 reaches a round-number milestone that few dates in the Lincoln cent series can match. This variety displays an extra eyelid south of Lincoln's main eyelid, the characteristic hub-doubling diagnostic that appears on many of the 1963-D DDO entries. Obverse die markers include two horizontal die scratches below the L in LIBERTY, while the reverse exhibits die cracks and die chips on the right cornice and running down the last Memorial column — progressive die failure features that indicate this die saw significant use before retirement. The presence of die cracks on the reverse is noteworthy because it suggests the coin was produced during a later stage of the die's service life, when metal fatigue had begun to fracture the die face. Collectors encountering specimens with heavy die cracks may find that the obverse doubling is somewhat softer than on earlier-state coins from the same die, as die wear can gradually reduce the sharpness of doubled features. No additional cross-references are currently known. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1963-D 1c WDDO-050 and attributed by the Wexler Team, this variety is part of the enormous 1963-D production total of 1,774,020,400 cents at Denver. The convergence of doubled die obverse features and late-stage die deterioration on the reverse makes WDDO-050 an interesting specimen for collectors who appreciate the full lifecycle narrative of a working die.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1963-D 1¢ WDDO-050
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References