1963-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-024

Description

Documented across two distinct die states, the 1963-D Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-024 provides a compelling study in die progression and the detective work required to connect early and late impressions from the same obverse die. The primary doubled die feature is an extra eyelid visible south of Lincoln's main eyelid — a hallmark of hub doubling on the obverse portrait that distinguishes this variety from common die deterioration doubling, which typically manifests as a mushy, shelf-like widening rather than a discrete secondary image. Stage A of WDDO-024 is identified by a nearly horizontal die scratch above TY in LIBERTY and a discontinuous concentric die scratch running near the rim from approximately 6 o'clock to 9:30, providing reliable attribution points for collectors examining coins under magnification. Stage B represents a much later die state in which the Stage A markers are no longer visible due to die wear and polishing, replaced by a worn horizontal die gouge above the I of LIBERTY. The reverse tells a parallel story of die deterioration: Stage A shows die cracks on the left side of the 11th and 12th columns of the Lincoln Memorial, while Stage B reveals a significantly progressed state where the 12th-column crack has migrated along the right roof edge, a large die gouge has developed right of the bottom of the 12th column, and a worn die gouge appears inside the lower N of UNITED. Stage A was submitted by Gene Nichols and Stage B by John Wexler, and the variety is cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1963-D 1c WDDO-024. No additional cross-references are currently known. Denver struck 1,774,020,400 cents in 1963, and the heavy die usage inherent in that volume makes multi-stage documentation especially valuable for attribution accuracy.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963-D 1¢ WDDO-024
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References