1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-009
Error
Description
Returning to the business-strike portion of the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent catalog, WDDO-009 documents a variety in which the doubling appears below the vertical bar of the L in LIBERTY — a localized attribution point that requires careful examination under magnification to detect. The Wexler Variety ID 1962 1¢ WDDO-009 carries no additional cross-references, positioning it as a Wexler-exclusive attribution. The specific location of the doubling beneath the L suggests a hub displacement geometry that produced its most legible effect at the junction between a vertical letter stroke and the surrounding field, where the contrast between raised design and flat surface makes even minor secondary impressions visible. On the obverse, two die scratches provide key identification markers independent of the doubling: a vertical die scratch runs between the 1 and the 9 in the date, and a second scratch extends to the north-northeast from the right side of the 1. These scratches are especially useful for preliminary screening because they occupy the lower portion of the obverse and can be checked at low magnification before the collector shifts to the more demanding examination of the LIBERTY area. The reverse carries its own diagnostic markers — a die gouge below the left side of the second A in AMERICA and another inside the bottom of that same letter — reinforcing the attribution with features that are completely independent of the obverse doubling. Struck from Philadelphia Mint dies during the 1962 production run of over 606 million business-strike cents, WDDO-009 entered general circulation and is most reliably attributed on higher-grade specimens where the fine detail beneath the L has not been eroded by wear.
Attribution History
- Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
- None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1962 1¢ WDDO-009
- Expert attribution by Wexler Team