1967 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

The first cataloged Wexler doubled die obverse for the 1967 Lincoln cent, WDDO-001 was struck during the final year of the Coinage Act of 1965 no-mint-mark era. Beginning in 1968, mint marks would return to all U.S. coin denominations, making 1967 the last year in which Lincoln cents were produced without a mint mark. The Philadelphia Mint manufactured 3,048,667,100 business strike cents in 1967 — the largest output of the entire three-year no-mint-mark period and a staggering number that exceeded even the previous year's record of 2,188,147,783 — requiring an unprecedented number of working dies, each manufactured through the multi-impression hubbing process where misalignment between successive applications could embed doubled images in the die steel. This regular strike variety carries distinctive die markers across both surfaces that aid in positive identification. On the obverse, a small die gouge sits just to the right of the top of the I in IN, and a short, nearly horizontal die gouge appears above the 7 in the date. On the reverse, a small die gouge can be found on the lower C in CENT. These die gouges serve as efficient screening indicators: a collector examining a candidate coin can check for the gouge above the 7 in the date as a quick preliminary test before examining the doubling pattern in detail. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A small die gouge can be found just to the right of the top of the I of IN. A short, nearly horizontal die gouge can be found above the 7 in the date. Reverse: A small die gouge can be found on the lower C in CENT.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References