1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-021

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team, the 1964 WDDO-021 is a doubled die obverse variety from the Philadelphia Mint's enormous 1964 business strike production of 2,648,575,000 Lincoln cents. The variety is cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID: 1964 50¢ Pr WDDO-021. Hub doubling of the type documented here results from a mechanical imperfection in the die manufacturing process: when the master hub is pressed into a working die blank to create the incuse design, any rotational or translational shift between successive hubbing impressions leaves a ghost image alongside the intended design. The magnitude of the shift determines whether the doubling is bold enough to see with the naked eye or requires magnification to detect, while the direction of the shift — spread north, south, clockwise, counterclockwise, or along other axes — determines the CONECA classification. The 1964 date holds a special place in Lincoln cent variety collecting as the last year of traditional Philadelphia production before the 1965-67 mint mark suspension. During those three years, all cents were struck without mint marks regardless of facility, making pre-1965 varieties easier to attribute to specific mints. Collectors should examine LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date under at least 5x magnification, comparing against reference photographs to distinguish WDDO-021 from the many other doubled die varieties sharing this date. Struck on a 95% copper, 5% tin-zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19mm diameter.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1964 50¢ Pr WDDO-021
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References