1961 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003
Error
Description
Bearing the Wexler designation 1961 1¢ Pr WDDR-003, this Proof doubled die reverse from the 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent displays a spread towards the center on UNITED, ONE CENT, the designer's initials FG, the lower left Memorial, and slightly on the letters of AMERICA. The centripetal spread indicates a Class II distorted hub doubling event, and the concentration of the strongest displacement on the lower left portion of the reverse provides a useful starting point for visual examination under magnification. On the obverse, no significant die markers have been recorded. The reverse, however, carries two reliable diagnostics: a short vertical die gouge positioned above the left side of the M in AMERICA, and light die scratches running in a west-to-northeast direction on the right Memorial base. These reverse markers are particularly valuable for attribution because they provide confirmation independent of the doubling pattern itself, allowing collectors to verify that a candidate specimen was struck from this specific die rather than from one of the other sixteen known DDR dies for the 1961 Proof date. No cross-references to other attribution systems are currently known. The 1961 Proof cent production, concentrated at the Philadelphia facility, yielded an unusually dense population of doubled die reverse varieties, and WDDR-003's placement as the third in the sequence reflects its relative prominence within that family.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Lou Coles Cross References: None known
- None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1961 1¢ Pr WDDR-003
- Expert attribution by Wexler Team