1959 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004
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Description
Produced during the first year that Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design graced the cent reverse, WDDO-004 is a doubled die obverse variety created when the die received a secondary impression from the hub during manufacture. The doubled die process occurs when a working die is impressed by the hub more than once with slight misalignment between impressions, leaving a shadow or spread on the design elements. This variety from the 1959 Philadelphia issue carries a diagnostic obverse die marker: a small die gouge can be found to the left of the back of the neck on Lincoln's portrait. No significant reverse die markers have been noted. Collectors searching for this variety should examine specimens under at least 5x magnification, looking for the telltale gouge near Lincoln's neck as an initial authentication point before confirming the doubled die characteristics. The 1959 date remains popular among variety collectors because the transition to the Memorial reverse generated strong public interest in cent collecting.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Robert E. Seigle Cross References: None known
- None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1959 25¢ Pr WDDO-004
- Expert attribution by Wexler Team