1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-040

Description

Among the proof doubled die obverse varieties documented for the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-040 contributes to a catalog that reveals how the Philadelphia Mint's proof die production was subject to the same hubbing imperfections that affected its business-strike die program. Proof coins occupy a special position in variety collecting because their carefully controlled striking process and superior surface preservation often make die varieties easier to detect and authenticate than on circulation-strike coins. The mirror-like fields produced by chrome-plated proof dies provide a reflective backdrop against which secondary design images created by hub misalignment stand out with particular clarity, especially under magnification with angled light. WDDO-040 was struck from one of the many proof die pairs used during the 1963 production of 3,075,645 proof Lincoln cents, with each pair typically lasting approximately 3,000 impressions before retirement. This limited die life constrains the surviving population of any proof DDO variety to a small fraction of the total proof mintage. Attributed by the Wexler Team and carrying the Wexler Variety ID 1963 1c Pr WDDO-040, this variety should be confirmed through comparison with published die photographs, as the high catalog number indicates that the doubling may be subtle or confined to specific areas of the obverse. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet and bears Victor David Brenner's portrait of Abraham Lincoln, with Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ Pr WDDO-040
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References