1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

WDDO-002 is a doubled die obverse on the 1961 Lincoln Memorial cent. This variety belongs to the Lincoln Memorial Cent family produced between 1959 and 2008, and its doubled die obverse classification indicates that a misalignment occurred during the hubbing process — the multi-step procedure through which a master hub transfers Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait onto a working die. When successive hub impressions fail to register perfectly, the resulting die carries overlapping design elements that are then reproduced on every coin struck from that die. The 1961 Philadelphia cent carried no mintmark, as was standard practice for the main mint facility, and the year's substantial production run meant that numerous obverse dies were placed into service, each representing an independent opportunity for hubbing irregularities to occur. WDDO-002 is distinguished from the other twelve known 1961 DDO varieties by its specific doubling signature, which collectors should examine under magnification to confirm. No cross-references to CONECA or other major attribution services have been established, and no specific die markers have been published for this variety, making careful comparison against known diagnostic photographs the primary method of positive identification.

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