1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002
Error
Description
Attributed by the Wexler team as WDDO-002 for the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent, this regular-strike variety exhibits a Class II spread directed toward the center, most prominently visible on the date. Class II in the Wexler system designates distorted hub doubling, in which the secondary impression was compressed or expanded relative to the primary image, creating a displacement that radiates inward or outward rather than shifting uniformly in a single direction. Early die state specimens of WDDO-002 also display doubling on the Y of LIBERTY, an additional attribution point that becomes less discernible as the die wears and the finer details of the letter serifs erode under repeated striking. The obverse die carries several distinctive markers that aid identification independent of the doubling itself: a small die gouge sits above and between the T and Y in LIBERTY, and a die scratch runs from the top of the T to the top of the R in the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. On the reverse, two die gouges provide further confirmation — one appearing as a dot between the lower second S in STATES and the O in OF, and another dot-like gouge positioned below the right end of the bottom horizontal bar of the F in OF. These reverse markers are especially valuable because they can be checked quickly at low magnification as a preliminary screening step before the collector undertakes the more demanding examination of the obverse doubling. The combination of a Class II spread, early-die-state LIBERTY doubling, and multiple obverse and reverse die markers makes WDDO-002 one of the more thoroughly documented varieties in the 1962 Wexler catalog.
Die Markers
- Obverse: A small die gouge can be found above and between the T and Y in LIBERTY. A die scratch runs from the top of the T to the top of the R in TRUST. Reverse: A small die gouge (dot) can be found between the lower 2nd S in STATES and the O in OF. A small die gouge (dot) can be found below the right end of the bottom horizontal bar of the F in OF.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Wexler Team