1964 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Opening the doubled die obverse catalog for the 1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, WDDO-001 is a variety struck at the Denver Mint during a year of unprecedented production volume. Any fractional displacement of the hub between these impressions produced a permanent doubled image in the die steel, creating the variety that collectors now catalog as a doubled die obverse. The sheer volume of dies consumed by the Denver Mint in 1964 made it statistically inevitable that numerous hubbing anomalies would occur across the die population, and WDDO-001 documents the first cataloged example. As the initial entry in the series, it anchors the 1964-D DDO census. The 1964-D cent is also historically significant as the last Denver-minted Lincoln cent to carry a mint mark before Congress directed the removal of mint marks from all coins beginning in 1965, a measure intended to discourage the hoarding that officials believed was exacerbating the coin shortage. Struck on a 95% copper and 5% zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19.05 mm, the coin bears the Brenner portrait and Gasparro Memorial reverse.

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