1963 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-063

Description

Documented within the Wexler Doubled Die Files as a proof-specific variety, the 1963 Proof WDDO-063 extends the already substantial doubled die obverse census for the 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent. The Philadelphia Mint's proof cent production for 1963 demanded an intensive die manufacturing schedule — with each proof die pair limited to approximately 3,000 impressions to maintain the flawless surface quality that collectors expect, the total output of 3,075,645 proof cents required roughly a thousand die pairs over the production year. The hubbing process that created each of these dies involved pressing the obverse working hub into a heated die blank multiple times, and the potential for fractional misalignment between impressions existed every time a new die was manufactured. When misalignment occurred, it produced a doubled design image permanently fixed in the die steel, unaffected by the subsequent chrome plating and polishing that prepared the die for proof service. The higher striking pressure employed in proof production — necessary to force planchet metal into every detail of the die to achieve the sharp device definition and mirror fields characteristic of proof coinage — can actually enhance the visibility of subtle doubling by transferring secondary images more completely than standard business-strike pressure would. Collectors seeking this variety should examine 1963 proof cents under magnification with low-angle directional lighting, looking for doubled elements on the obverse legends, date numerals, and portrait contours. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc planchet and represents one of the last proof varieties produced before the three-year proof set hiatus beginning in 1965.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References