1966 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Numbered as the fourth Wexler doubled die obverse for the 1966 Lincoln cent, WDDO-004 exhibits a very close clockwise spread visible on the top left of the second T in TRUST. The very close designation indicates that the separation between primary and secondary hub images is extremely narrow — narrower than a standard close spread — requiring higher magnification (typically 16x or greater) and careful lighting to detect reliably. The spread's location on the top left of the second T in TRUST places it in a diagnostic area shared with WDDO-005, which also shows a very close CW spread on the same letter, though the two varieties can be distinguished by their die markers and the precise characteristics of the spread. On the obverse, a small die gouge appearing as a dot can be found WNW of the one in the date, providing a key attribution marker. The reverse carries a die scratch running from the left cornice to the top left of the T in UNITED — a long, well-defined marker that can serve as an efficient pre-screening tool when sorting through quantities of 1966 cents. The 1966 Lincoln cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint without mint marks under the Coinage Act of 1965, which continued to suppress mint marks on all U.S. coins. The year's production of 2,188,147,783 business strike cents was the highest of the three-year no-mint-mark period, reflecting the Mint's peak output in addressing the national coin shortage. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1966 1¢ WDDO-004. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1966 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References