1965 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Found in a 1965 Special Mint Set, WDDO-004 is one of a small number of doubled die obverse varieties confirmed on SMS Lincoln cents from this date. Special Mint Sets were introduced in 1965 as a replacement for the traditional proof sets that Congress suspended under the Coinage Act of 1965 to address the national coin shortage. SMS coins were produced at the Philadelphia Mint but carry no mint mark — consistent with the 1965—1967 mint mark removal mandate — and were struck with higher pressure than business strikes, yielding surfaces with better detail and a semi-proof finish that falls between the quality of standard business strikes and traditional proofs. Only 2,360,000 SMS sets were produced in 1965, compared to 1,497,224,900 business strike cents, making any SMS-confirmed variety significantly scarcer in terms of potential surviving population. This variety exhibits Class V+VIII combined doubling — the same dual-class designation as WDDO-002 — indicating that both pivoted hub doubling and tilted hub doubling occurred simultaneously during the die manufacturing process. The combined pivot-and-tilt pattern creates a complex spread that varies in both direction and magnitude across the design elements. Cross-referenced as CONECA 3-O-V+VIII and Wexler Variety ID: 1965 1¢ WDDO-004, with the notation confirming discovery in a 1965 Special Mint Set. Attributed by the Wexler Team. Collectors should note that SMS surfaces can make subtle doubling both easier and harder to detect — the higher-quality strike produces sharper device edges that can reveal fine spreads, but the reflective surfaces can also mask them depending on lighting angle. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L. Young Cross References: CONECA: 3-O-V+VIII Comments: This variety was found in a 1965 Special Mint Set.
• CONECA: 3-O-V+VIII Comments: This variety was found in a 1965 Special Mint Set.; Wexler Variety ID: 1965 1¢ WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References