1961 Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Struck as a Proof at the Philadelphia Mint, the 1961 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001 carries a very close spread directed towards the rim that manifests on the letters of LIBERTY. Because this variety was produced on a Proof die — where the fields are deeply mirrored and the design elements carry full, squared-off relief — even subtle hub doubling becomes more readily apparent than it would on a business-strike counterpart. The close spread towards the rim on LIBERTY indicates a Class I rotated hub doubling event, where slight angular misalignment between successive hub impressions displaced the letter serifs outward toward the coin's periphery. Die marker analysis reveals no significant obverse diagnostics, but the reverse carries small die gouges inside the lower E of UNITED and just above the right end of the middle crossbar of the same E, providing reliable authentication points for attribution. Cataloged by the Wexler Team under the designation 1961 1¢ Pr WDDO-001 with no other known cross-references, this Proof doubled die is part of the broader family of 1961 Philadelphia Proof cent varieties that emerged from the era's multi-impression hubbing process. Collectors examining candidate specimens should focus on the rightward displacement of the LIBERTY serifs under moderate magnification while confirming the reverse die gouges on the E of UNITED to separate this variety from other close-spread DDOs in the series.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None significant. Reverse: Small die gouges can be found inside the lower E of UNITED and just above the right end of the middle crossbar of the E.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1961 1¢ Pr WDDO-001

External References