1967 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Found in a 1967 Special Mint Set, this SMS variant of WDDO-002 is the second cataloged Wexler doubled die obverse for the 1967 Lincoln cent confirmed on an SMS coin. The 1967 SMS program produced only 1,863,344 sets at the San Francisco Mint, making SMS-confirmed doubled die varieties inherently scarce compared to their business strike counterparts from the year's production of over three billion cents. Unlike WDDO-001, which carries a CONECA cross-reference, this variety is noted as having no known cross-references beyond the Wexler catalog, suggesting it may be a more recently documented or less widely recognized variety. The 1967 date holds particular historical significance as the final year of the Coinage Act of 1965 no-mint-mark mandate: when the calendar turned to 1968, mint marks returned to all U.S. coin denominations, and traditional proof sets resumed production at the San Francisco Mint, ending the SMS experiment. The three-year SMS program (1965—1967) produced coins with a distinctive semi-proof finish achieved through higher striking pressures and polished dies, giving SMS coins surface characteristics that differ noticeably from business strikes. Cataloged under Wexler Variety ID: 1967 1¢ WDDO-002 and attributed by the Wexler Team. Collectors should note that the enhanced surfaces of SMS coins can make doubled die features appear differently than on business strikes — the sharper device edges may reveal fine doubling more clearly, but reflective fields can mask subtle spreads depending on the lighting angle. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L. Young Cross References: None known Comments: This variety was found in a 1967 Special Mint Set.
• None known Comments: This variety was found in a 1967 Special Mint Set.; Wexler Variety ID: 1967 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References