1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-058

Description

One of the most extensively documented DDO varieties for the 1963 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-058 exhibits a small bar from a tilted clockwise spread visible under the L of LIBERTY, indicating that the working hub rotated fractionally clockwise between hubbing impressions. This variety is further distinguished by having been struck from a die that also bears a doubled die reverse, listed separately as 1963 1c WDDR-002, making it a dual-doubled-die coin where both the obverse and reverse carry genuine hub doubling. Dual-doubled-die specimens are uncommon and particularly prized because the odds of both an obverse and a reverse working die in the same pair carrying hubbing anomalies are multiplicatively low, and their occurrence on a single coin represents a noteworthy convergence of die manufacturing events. Die markers document three progressive obverse stages. Stage A shows a small die gouge just below the N of IN GOD WE TRUST, a die scratch connecting the lower R and T of LIBERTY, a die scratch extending northeast from the top of the 6, a short die scratch extending southeast from Lincoln's throat, a long die scratch extending south-southwest from the bottom of the T in LIBERTY, a small die gouge to the right of Lincoln's lower lip, and remnants of a die clash connecting the upper 1 and 9 in the date. Stage B retains all Stage A scratches in much weaker form, with the die gouge below the N of IN GOD WE TRUST now gone while the gouge to the right of the lower lip has become much stronger. Stage C shows all Stage A die scratches barely visible or completely missing, while the die gouge to the right of the lower lip remains very strong. This stage progression reveals the die's deterioration through its service life and provides collectors with a way to determine the relative striking sequence of individual specimens. The reverse details are documented under the WDDR-002 listing. Cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID 1963 1c WDDO-058, the coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the 754,110,000 business-strike production for 1963.

Attribution History

• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ WDDO-058
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References