1960 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-022

Description

Manifesting as an extra eyelid below Lincoln's normal eyelid, WDDO-022 on the 1960 Lincoln Memorial Cent Small Date regular strike belongs to the subset of doubled die obverse varieties whose doubling is confined to the presidential portrait rather than spread across the legends. This eyelid-doubling pattern, also seen on WDDO-007 and WDDO-015 within the 1960 series, occurs when the displaced secondary hub impression affects the fine sculptural detail of the eye area, creating a visible duplicate of the eyelid contour. The obverse carries a die scratch running north to south to the left of the eye, nose, and mouth — a long vertical marker that traces the profile and provides a strong diagnostic for confirming this specific die. On the reverse, three parallel die scratches run from southwest to northeast below the right Memorial base. The Small Date designation places this variety in the later production phase of 1960 Philadelphia cents, after the mid-year hub transition. Collectors searching for eyelid-doubled varieties should examine the eye area under at least 10x magnification, comparing the lower edge of the eyelid against known normal specimens to identify the secondary contour.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Small Date. A die scratch runs N/S to the left of the eye, nose, and mouth. Reverse: Three parallel die scratches run SW/NE below the right Memorial base.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References