1963 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-064

Description

As variety attributors have expanded the 1963 Lincoln cent DDO catalog over the decades since its issue, proof-prefixed entries like WDDO-064 have accumulated to form one of the most extensive doubled die populations for any single proof date in the Lincoln Memorial series. This variety originated during the die manufacturing process at the Philadelphia Mint, where working dies destined for proof service were created through the same multi-impression hubbing technique used for circulation dies. The critical difference lay not in the hubbing process itself but in the subsequent finishing: proof dies received chrome plating, controlled frosting of the raised design elements, and careful polishing of the field areas to create the mirror-like surfaces that distinguish proof coinage. A hub misalignment that occurred during the design transfer stage survived all of these finishing steps, becoming part of the die's permanent identity and transferring to every coin struck from it. The 1963 proof Lincoln cent holds particular historical significance as part of the last complete proof set series before the nationwide coin shortage prompted Congress to suspend proof production and remove mint marks from coins beginning in 1965. The total proof cent output of 3,075,645 pieces, distributed across approximately one thousand die pairs at roughly 3,000 impressions each, means that any individual proof DDO variety like WDDO-064 exists on a relatively small number of surviving coins. Struck on a standard 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc planchet, the coin features the Brenner obverse and Gasparro reverse that served the denomination throughout the Memorial cent era.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References