1963 Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent - Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-068

Description

Advancing through the upper registers of the 1963 proof Lincoln cent DDO catalog, WDDO-068 documents yet another working die whose hubbing session at the Philadelphia Mint produced a measurable design displacement on the obverse. The Wexler attribution system has now cataloged well over sixty proof-specific doubled die obverse varieties for this single date, a count that testifies to the combination of high production volume and meticulous post-issue examination that defines modern variety numismatics. Each proof die pair was manufactured through the same hydraulic hubbing process — pressing the obverse working hub into a heated die blank multiple times to impart the full Lincoln portrait, legends, and date — and each session carried an independent probability of misalignment between impressions. Once hubbed, proof dies received chrome plating and polishing that produced the mirror fields and frosted devices of a proof coin, finishing steps that sealed the hubbing anomaly beneath a protective layer of chrome without disturbing it. The 3,075,645 total proof cents struck in 1963 mean that any single proof DDO variety corresponds to a small fraction of the total output. Collectors should note that 1963 was the last year of uninterrupted proof set production before the coin shortage suspension of 1965-67, lending historical context to all proof varieties from this date. The coin was struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet with the Brenner portrait and Gasparro Memorial reverse.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ Pr WDDO-068

External References