1963-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Listed as the second Doubled Die Obverse variety for the 1963-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-002 is one of a substantial family of doubled die varieties spawned by the Denver Mint's massive 1963 production run of 1,774,020,400 cents. The sheer scale of that output required an extraordinary number of working dies, each individually sunk from a working hub in a multi-step process that left room for slight misalignment during any of the multiple impressions needed to bring up the full design. When such a misalignment occurred, the resulting die carried a permanent doubled image that was transferred to every coin it struck until the die was retired. Collectors examining candidates for WDDO-002 should study the date numerals, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, and the word LIBERTY under magnification of at least 7x, looking for separation lines, shelving, or notching that indicates a secondary hub impression offset from the primary design. Because many 1963-D doubled die varieties share similar areas of involvement, precise attribution requires careful comparison against published die marker data to distinguish one variety from another. The 1963-D cent remains one of the most common dates in the Lincoln Memorial series in circulated condition, but authenticated doubled die specimens trade at a significant premium that reflects their scarcity relative to the enormous base population. The coin features Victor David Brenner's obverse design and Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse, struck on the 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet standard for the era.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References