1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-069

Description

Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 1963 1c Pr WDDO-069, this proof doubled die obverse of the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent was identified and attributed by the Wexler Team as part of the continuing effort to document every distinct doubled obverse die used in the 1963 proof cent production. The comprehensive nature of this documentation project has revealed that the 1963 proof cent has one of the highest DDO variety counts in the entire Lincoln series, a result that follows logically from the production arithmetic: the 3,075,645 proof cents struck that year required roughly a thousand obverse dies (given the approximately 3,000-impression lifespan of each proof die), and each die's individual passage through the multi-impression hubbing process created an independent chance for hub misalignment. Even if only a small percentage of these dies developed measurable doubling, the aggregate across a thousand dies produced a substantial population of varieties. The proof context means that surviving examples exhibit the mirror-like fields and frosted devices that characterize proof coinage, surface qualities that aid in variety detection by providing sharp contrast against which secondary design images stand out under magnification. Collectors examining 1963 proof cents for this variety should use controlled lighting and at least 10x magnification, paying attention to the obverse legends, date, and portrait details where hub displacement most readily manifests. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet and carries the Brenner obverse portrait paired with Gasparro's Memorial reverse.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ Pr WDDO-069
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References