1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-032

Description

Opening the upper range of the 1963 Philadelphia Mint doubled die obverse catalog, the Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-032 represents one of more than sixty DDO varieties now documented for this single date and mint. A doubled die obverse is created when the working hub, which transfers the obverse design into a fresh die blank, is slightly misaligned between the multiple impressions required to sink the full design depth into the die steel. Any rotational or translational offset during these successive hubbing applications produces a permanent secondary image that is then faithfully reproduced on every coin the die strikes. The sheer number of DDO varieties cataloged for the 1963 P-mint cent reflects the enormous production demands placed on the Philadelphia Mint that year, when 754,110,000 business-strike cents were manufactured on 95% copper and 5% zinc planchets. Each of the hundreds of obverse working dies consumed during this production campaign passed through the hubbing process independently, creating a fresh opportunity for misalignment with every die produced. Collectors examining 1963 cents for WDDO-032 should work under at least 10x magnification with angled lighting, comparing the obverse legends, date, and portrait details against published die photographs. This variety is cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1963 1c WDDO-032 and was attributed by the Wexler Team. The coin carries Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln and Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse, the design pairing that would endure through 2008.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ WDDO-032
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References