1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-017

Description

Representing yet another unique die in the prolific 1964 Philadelphia doubled die obverse series, WDDO-017 demonstrates how the mid-twentieth-century hubbing process inherently generated variety after variety. Before modern single-squeeze technology, creating a working die required multiple impressions from a master hub, with an annealing step between each application to soften the die steel for the next squeeze. If the die or hub shifted even slightly between impressions — whether from mechanical play in the press, operator error, or the die blank moving in its holder — the result was a doubled die. The 1964 date, with its record Philadelphia output of 2,648,575,000 business strikes, saw an extraordinary number of dies enter and exit service over the production year, and the doubled die count for this date continues to grow as variety specialists discover previously unrecognized examples. No specific cross-references, die markers, or expert attributions have been published for WDDO-017, placing attribution responsibility on careful comparison with Wexler reference images. Collectors examining potential specimens should pay close attention to the serif details of LIBERTY, the thin strokes of IN GOD WE TRUST, and the numerals of the date, where even minor hub misalignments tend to produce their most visible effects. An uncirculated example with original mint red luster provides the best surface for detecting subtle doubling. Struck on a 95% copper, 5% tin-zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19mm diameter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References