1963 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Featuring the hallmark Lincoln cent doubling indicator of an extra eyelid visible below the normal eyelid, the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-006 preserves the portrait-area displacement that variety collectors find most compelling on this denomination. The extra eyelid arises when the working hub is offset during one of its multiple impressions into the die blank, and on Lincoln's obverse portrait the fine parallel lines that define the brow and eyelid area are particularly sensitive to even fractional displacement, producing a clear secondary contour where none should exist. This form of doubling is often the first indicator that alerts a collector to the presence of a DDO variety when sorting through large quantities of cents, because the eyelid area can be checked rapidly under a loupe without the need to examine every letter of the surrounding legends. Die markers are recorded for the obverse, providing additional confirmation points beyond the doubling itself. The 1963 Philadelphia cent was struck without a mint mark and entered general circulation from the nation's first and oldest mint facility, which produced 754,110,000 business strikes that year alongside 3,075,645 proof specimens. The standard 95% copper and 5% zinc composition gives 1963 cents a warm reddish tone when preserved in uncirculated condition, and fully red examples showing the WDDO-006 doubling are especially desirable. Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait and Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse complete the design pairing that would continue through 2008. Collectors should examine the eyelid area under at least 10x magnification with side lighting to reveal the secondary contour.

Die Markers

• Obverse

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References