1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-039

Description

Found exclusively among the 3,950,762 proof Lincoln cents struck at Philadelphia in 1964, WDDO-039 is a doubled die obverse variety whose proof strike type inherently limits the surviving population. Proof dies at the Philadelphia Mint were prepared with exceptional care — polished to a mirror finish, chrome-plated for durability, and retired after approximately 3,000 impressions to maintain the exacting standards expected of proof coinage. A doubled die on a proof die therefore affected at most a few thousand coins before the die was removed from service, a stark contrast to the hundreds of thousands of impressions a typical business strike die might deliver. The mirror-like fields characteristic of proof coins can either enhance or conceal hub doubling depending on its severity and the viewing angle: bold doubling stands out dramatically against reflective surfaces, while very subtle spreads may require precise lighting adjustments to detect. No specific die markers have been documented for this variety, placing attribution responsibility on careful comparison of the doubling pattern against Wexler reference photographs. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1964 1¢ Pr WDDO-039 and attributed by the Wexler Team. The 1964 date represents the final year of Philadelphia proof production before the Mint suspended proof sets from 1965 through 1967, making every 1964 proof variety a product of a transitional era. Struck on a polished 3.11-gram, 19mm bronze planchet of 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Mulberry Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1964 1¢ Pr WDDO-039
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References