1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-007

Description

Among the most significant doubled die obverse varieties cataloged for the 1964 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln cent, WDDO-007 stands apart for both its unusual doubling mechanism and its exceptionally thorough independent verification across four attribution systems: CONECA 22-O-VIII, Coppercoins 1964P-1DO-002, Crawford CDDO-001, and Wexler Variety ID 1964 1¢ WDDO-007. The CONECA classification as Class VIII identifies this as a tilted hub doubled die — one of the rarest and most mechanically distinctive doubling classes in the Wexler/CONECA system. Unlike the more common Class I (rotated) or Class II (distorted) hub doublings, a Class VIII variety is produced when the working hub enters the die blank at a slight tilt rather than perfectly parallel, causing the secondary design image to spread in a pivoting arc rather than a uniform directional shift. On WDDO-007, this tilted hub mechanism produces a strong counterclockwise spread visible on the letters IN and the upper portion of the L in LIBERTY — areas where the angular displacement between the tilted and properly seated hub positions creates maximum separation between the primary and secondary design images. The concentration of visible doubling on IN and the upper L of LIBERTY is consistent with the geometric predictions of a tilted hub: design elements farther from the tilt axis receive greater angular displacement and therefore display more prominent doubling. The convergence of four independent cross-references from major attribution services (CONECA, Coppercoins, Crawford, and Wexler) is unusual for a single variety and reflects the numismatic community's recognition of this variety's significance. Crawford's designation as CDDO-001 — the first cataloged doubled die obverse in that system — further underscores its prominence. Obverse die markers include a Stage A notation, indicating the die was documented at its earliest production state. Produced at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the 2,648,575,000 business strike cents manufactured in 1964, this variety was struck on a 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19mm diameter. The 1964 date was the last year mint marks appeared on Lincoln cents before the 1965-67 suspension.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: CONECA: 22-O-VIII, Coppercoins: 1964P-1DO-002, Crawford: CDDO-001
• CONECA: 22-O-VIII, Coppercoins: 1964P-1DO-002, Crawford: CDDO-001; Wexler Variety ID: 1964 1¢ WDDO-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References