1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008
Error
Description
Documented with multiple die stages that chart its production history, the 1962 Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-008 exhibits a spread directed toward the rim on both the date and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, carrying the Wexler Variety ID 1962 1¢ Pr WDDO-008 with no other cross-references currently known. The die progression is recorded across two obverse stages and two reverse stages. Obverse Stage A represents the earlier production state, while Stage B introduces die scratches running parallel to the rim in the field between WE and TRUST and between the R and U of TRUST — linear marks that serve as reliable diagnostics for identifying late-production specimens. The reverse similarly progresses through two stages: Reverse Stage A carries a die gouge touching the top of the E in CENT, a discrete marker that can be confirmed quickly at moderate magnification, while Reverse Stage B represents a new reverse die that was paired with the same obverse after the original reverse was retired. This reverse die change is a routine event in proof production — when a reverse die deteriorates or develops unacceptable flaws, it is replaced while the still-serviceable obverse continues in use, creating a new die marriage. For collectors, the two-reverse history means that WDDO-008 specimens can be subdivided into two distinct pairings, with Stage A reverse coins carrying the E-in-CENT gouge and Stage B reverse coins lacking it, offering a built-in sub-variety structure within a single catalog entry. The parallel die scratches between TRUST letters on the obverse Stage B provide the primary means of distinguishing early from late production of this proof variety.
Attribution History
- Discovered by Lou Coles Cross References: None known
- None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1962 1¢ Pr WDDO-008
- Expert attribution by Wexler Team