1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-005
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Description
Carrying the Wexler Variety ID 1962 1¢ Pr WDDO-005, this proof Lincoln Memorial Cent doubled die obverse exhibits a spread directed toward the rim that is most visible on the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST. The outward displacement toward the rim indicates that the secondary hub impression shifted slightly away from the center of the die, pushing the doubled image of the motto letters toward the coin's periphery — a geometry that tends to produce the most legible doubling on the upper portions of tall letters like the T in TRUST and the I in IN, where the extra thickness or secondary outline appears at the tops of the vertical strokes. This variety has a notable cataloging history: it was previously listed as WDDO-109 but was reassigned to the WDDO-005 position to help fill gaps in the Wexler listings that were created when four different doubled working hubs were identified for the 1962 proof cent series. The recognition of multiple doubled working hubs — as opposed to individual die-level doubling events — was a significant refinement in the understanding of 1962 proof DDO varieties, because it established that entire families of dies inherited their doubling from a common hub source, allowing attributors to group related varieties by their hub of origin rather than treating each as an isolated occurrence. No other cross-references are currently known for this variety. Struck from proof dies at the Philadelphia Mint, WDDO-005 shares the production constraints common to all proof varieties, with die life estimated at approximately 3,000 impressions, limiting the potential surviving population to a small subset of the 3,218,019 total proofs coined in 1962.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known Comments: This variety was previously listed as WDDO-109 but was reassigned to help fill the gaping holes in the listings that were created when four different doubled working hubs were identified.
- None known Comments: This variety was previously listed as WDDO-109 but was reassigned to help fill the gaping holes in the listings that were created when four different doubled working hubs were identified.; Wexler Variety ID: 1962 1¢ Pr WDDO-005
- Expert attribution by Wexler Team