1963 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-045

Description

Advancing through the upper reaches of the proof doubled die obverse series for the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-045 carries the Wexler catalog designation that connects it to the broader documentation effort encompassing over seventy-five DDO varieties for this single date and mint. The proof striking environment at the Philadelphia Mint in 1963 combined specialized die preparation with controlled striking conditions: dies were chrome plated and polished to mirror perfection, planchets were cleaned and polished before being individually hand-fed into the press, and the press operated at higher tonnage than business-strike equipment to achieve the full, sharp impression that defines proof coinage. These conditions amplify the expression of any hubbing anomaly present in the die, because the metal fills every contour of the die face more completely under proof striking pressure than under the lower pressures and faster cycling of business-strike production. The doubled image on WDDO-045 was embedded in the die during hubbing and survived the subsequent chrome plating and finishing steps that prepared it for proof service. With proof die pairs retiring after approximately 3,000 impressions, this variety exists on a limited subset of the 3,075,645 proof cents produced in 1963. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet. Collectors working through 1963 proof sets should examine each cent systematically under magnification, as the high variety count for this date means that any proof cent could potentially carry a documented DDO variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References