1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-060

Description

Near the upper limit of the current 1963 DDO census, the proof Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-060 carries the Wexler Variety ID 1963 1c Pr WDDO-060 and was attributed by the Wexler Team. High-numbered proof DDO varieties like this one illustrate the ongoing nature of variety attribution: as more collectors examine their proof sets with modern magnification equipment and submit specimens for expert review, the catalog continues to expand. Proof dies at the Philadelphia Mint were manufactured through the same hubbing process as business-strike dies, with additional preparation steps including chrome plating and polishing that produced the mirror-like fields and frosted devices characteristic of proof coinage. These finishing steps did not remove any hubbing anomaly already present in the die steel, so a doubled proof die carried its secondary image into service and transmitted it to every coin struck during its limited lifespan of approximately 3,000 impressions. The 1963 proof production of 3,075,645 Lincoln cents was distributed across numerous die pairs, and WDDO-060 emerged from one pair within that population. The proof context grants collectors the advantage of examining coins with pristine, undisturbed surfaces that reveal even the most subtle hub displacement under magnification with controlled lighting. Struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet, the coin features Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait and Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse. The 1963 date is the last before the coin shortage suspension halted proof set production in 1965.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ Pr WDDO-060
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References