1963 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-046

Description

Completing the cluster of mid-numbered proof DDO entries for the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-046 was produced from a proof die that carried a doubled obverse image from its creation in the Philadelphia Mint's die shop. The die manufacturing process required the obverse working hub to be pressed into the die blank multiple times under enormous hydraulic pressure, and WDDO-046 originated from a session in which the hub's alignment shifted between impressions, leaving a ghost of the design beside the primary image. Once finished with chrome plating and polishing, the die entered proof service carrying this permanent anomaly beneath its mirror-quality surface. The 1963 proof cent production of 3,075,645 pieces consumed die pairs at a rate of approximately 3,000 strikes per pair, so each variety's population is bounded by that figure. The Wexler Doubled Die Files catalog this variety alongside dozens of other proof DDO entries for the 1963 date, and the concentration of varieties reflects the large number of individually hubbed proof dies that the Philadelphia Mint required to sustain production throughout the year. Successful identification of WDDO-046 requires magnified examination of the obverse design elements combined with careful comparison against published reference descriptions and die photographs, as the high density of proof DDO varieties for this date makes positive attribution particularly dependent on precise matching. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet, carrying the Brenner portrait and Gasparro's Memorial reverse. The 1963 date marks the close of the pre-shortage proof era, the last year before proof sets were suspended from 1965 through 1967.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References