1963 Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent - Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-074

Description

WDDO-074 is a doubled die obverse on the 1963 proof Lincoln Memorial cent. The existence of so many varieties is a natural consequence of the proof die manufacturing process at the Philadelphia Mint in 1963: the multi-impression hubbing technique required to transfer the full obverse design from the working hub into each die blank was performed independently for every die produced, and the 3,075,645 proof cents struck that year consumed approximately one thousand obverse dies at the typical proof replacement rate. Each hubbing session carried a probability — small on any individual occasion but significant across a thousand repetitions — of producing the fractional hub displacement that creates a doubled die variety. WDDO-074 preserves one such displacement, embedded in the die steel before the chrome plating and mirror polishing that prepared the die for proof service. The doubled image was then transferred to every proof cent struck from this die under the elevated striking pressure that characterizes proof production, creating coins that combine the mirror-field brilliance and frosted device sharpness of proof manufacture with the numismatic variety interest of a documented doubled die. Collectors examining 1963 proof cents for this variety should use controlled lighting and at least 10x magnification, paying particular attention to the areas of the obverse design where hub displacement typically manifests — the date, legends, and portrait contours. The coin was struck on a standard 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1963 1¢ Pr WDDO-074

External References