1964 Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Carrying the second Wexler doubled die obverse designation in the Proof-prefixed title sequence for the 1964 Lincoln cent, this WDDO-002 is a proof variety struck from the Philadelphia Mint's 1964 proof production of 3,950,762 pieces. Proof Lincoln cents of this era were manufactured with extraordinary attention to quality: each planchet was individually burnished, the dies were polished to a mirror finish and chrome-plated for extended service life, and each coin received multiple strikes under elevated tonnage to ensure complete metal flow into every recess of the design. Because proof dies were retired after approximately 3,000 impressions, any doubled die found on a proof coin has a naturally limited population measured in the low thousands at most. Hub doubling on proof dies occurs through the same mechanism as on business strike dies — a slight misalignment between successive hubbing impressions during die manufacture — but the mirror fields and frosted devices of the finished proof can affect how the doubling is perceived. No specific doubling description, die markers, cross-references, or expert attributions have been published for this variety, so collectors must rely on direct comparison against reference photographs for attribution. The 1964 date marks the final year of Philadelphia proof production before the three-year suspension of proof sets beginning in 1965. Struck on a polished 3.11-gram, 19mm bronze planchet of 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References