1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

A business-strike variety from the Philadelphia Mint's 1963 production of 754,110,000 Lincoln Memorial Cents, WDDO-004 displays a spread towards the center on the date, where the secondary image created by hub misalignment shifts the date numerals inward relative to their primary position. Center-directed spreads on Lincoln cent dates are among the more straightforward doubling patterns to identify because the date occupies an isolated area of the obverse field with sufficient surrounding space for the secondary image to be visible without interference from adjacent design elements. Die markers are recorded for the obverse, though specific details are not enumerated in the current attribution data, making careful comparison against published die photographs the most reliable method for confirming this variety. The 1963 Philadelphia cent entered general circulation without a mint mark, as was the longstanding practice for the mother mint, and the 754 million piece output required a substantial number of working dies, each manufactured through the multi-impression hubbing process that creates the opportunity for doubled die varieties. At 95% copper and 5% zinc, the 1963 cent shared the same composition that had been used since 1962, and its obverse carried Victor David Brenner's portrait of Lincoln while Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial adorned the reverse. The year 1963 was the second-to-last before the nationwide coin shortage prompted Congress to eliminate mint marks in 1965, making it a transitional year in American numismatic history. Collectors cherry-picking rolls of 1963 Philadelphia cents should examine the date area under magnification for the telltale center-directed spread that distinguishes WDDO-004.

Die Markers

• Obverse

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References