1963 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-040

Description

Doubling created during the die hubbing process at the Philadelphia Mint defines the 1963 Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent WDDO-040, one of the many proof-specific DDO varieties that have been documented for this prolific date. The manufacturing process that generates doubled dies was an inherent feature of mid-twentieth-century die production: the working hub, carrying the master design in raised relief, was pressed into a softened die blank multiple times to transfer the design at full depth, and any positional shift of the hub between these impressions left a secondary image permanently engraved in the die. Proof dies underwent additional preparation after hubbing — chrome plating, selective frosting, and mirror polishing — but these steps preserved rather than erased the hubbing anomaly. The 1963 proof cent mintage of 3,075,645 pieces represents the peak of the pre-shortage proof era, with individual die pairs lasting approximately 3,000 impressions before the Mint retired them to maintain surface quality. WDDO-040 was produced from one such pair, carrying its doubled obverse image to a limited pool of proof cents. Collectors should examine the obverse legends, date, and portrait contours under magnification with careful lighting control, comparing observations against published Wexler reference descriptions. The coin was struck on a standard 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet and carries Brenner's Lincoln portrait paired with Gasparro's Memorial reverse design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References