1956 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

A proof-only variety, WDDO-004 on the 1956 Lincoln Wheat Cent documents a hub misalignment event on a die used exclusively for proof coin production at the Philadelphia Mint. Cataloged by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1956 1c Pr WDDO-004 — where "Pr" denotes proof — this variety could only have been struck on coins sold through the 1956 proof set, which had a total distribution of 669,384 sets. Proof dies undergo the same hubbing process as business-strike dies, and the same potential for hub misalignment exists; the difference lies in the die's subsequent finishing — proof dies are polished to a mirror finish and their design elements are often given supplementary treatment to enhance contrast — and in the striking process itself, where polished planchets receive multiple blows at lower speed from polished dies, producing the distinctive mirror-field and frosted-device appearance. The proof surface quality can actually aid DDO detection: the mirror fields provide a high-contrast background against which even subtle secondary design images become visible, particularly when the coin is tilted under a single-point light source to create differential reflections between the primary and secondary hub impressions. The 1956 proof Wheat Cent was struck in standard bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) at 3.11 grams on a 19mm planchet, and specimens with original proof surfaces ranging from brilliant to deeply cameo are available. With only two years of Wheat Cent proof production remaining (1957 and 1958), the 1956 proof occupies a position near the series' conclusion, giving this DDO variety a late-series-proof provenance that adds to its collectibility.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1956 1¢ Pr WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References