1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-050

Description

Providing yet another example of portrait-level doubling in the 1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO series, WDDO-050 is identified by a secondary eyelid visible below Lincoln's normal eyelid — the same type of anatomical doubling seen in WDDO-024, WDDO-038, and WDDO-045, though each variety traces to a distinct working die with its own unique marker constellation. This recurrence of eyelid doubling across multiple 1962 varieties underscores the sensitivity of the portrait's eye area to hub displacement: the shallow relief and fine engraving of the eyelid captures even modest secondary impressions, making it one of the first features to betray a doubled die when collectors examine the obverse under magnification. Die markers on the obverse include a die scratch running north-northeast from the top of the Y in LIBERTY, accompanied by numerous north-south scratches on both sides of the bust. The reverse presents a comprehensive set of identifying features: a small die gouge on the right inside of the C in AMERICA, a die gouge between the lower E and N in CENT, and various scratches distributed throughout the reverse field. This density of reverse markers provides an efficient screening protocol — a quick check of the AMERICA and CENT areas at low magnification can confirm or rule out the die identity before the collector proceeds to the more demanding obverse eyelid examination. WDDO-050 was struck at the Philadelphia Mint as a regular business-strike issue during 1962, when the facility produced over 606 million cents in the final year of the original 95% copper, 5% tin-and-zinc alloy composition that had characterized the Lincoln cent since 1909.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A die scratch runs NNE from the top of the Y in LIBERTY. Numerous die scratches run mostly N/S on both sides of the bust. Reverse: A small die gouge can be found on the right inside of the C in AMERICA. A small die gouge can be found between the lower E and N in CENT. Various die scratches can be found throughout the reverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References