1965 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Cataloged as the second Wexler doubled die obverse for the 1965 Lincoln cent, WDDO-002 exhibits a particularly interesting doubling classification: Class V+VIII combined, indicating that both pivoted hub doubling and tilted hub doubling occurred simultaneously during the die manufacturing process. In Class V pivoted doubling, the hub rotates slightly around a pivot point between impressions, producing a spread that fans outward from the pivot. In Class VIII tilted doubling, the hub is angled relative to the die surface, causing the spread to vary in magnitude across different areas of the design. When both anomalies occur together, the resulting doubling pattern is more complex than either class alone, with the spread direction and magnitude influenced by both the rotational pivot and the angular tilt. This dual-class designation makes WDDO-002 mechanistically distinctive among the 1965 doubled die obverse varieties. The 1965 date falls within the Coinage Act of 1965 transition period when all mint marks were removed from U.S. coinage to discourage speculative hoarding during the national coin shortage, meaning this variety carries no mint mark despite being struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Cross-referenced as CONECA 2-O-V+VIII and Wexler Variety ID: 1965 1¢ WDDO-002, and attributed by the Wexler Team. Collectors examining 1965 cents for this variety should look for the characteristic combined pivot-and-tilt spread pattern under at least 10x magnification. Struck from the 1965 business strike production of 1,497,224,900 cents on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA: 2-O-V+VIII
• CONECA: 2-O-V+VIII; Wexler Variety ID: 1965 1¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References