1968-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Cataloged as the second Wexler doubled die reverse for the 1968-S Lincoln cent, WDDR-002 appears on the regular strike (business strike) version rather than the proof, making it one of the scarcer 1968-S varieties by virtue of the San Francisco Mint's relatively limited business strike cent production in 1968. While San Francisco's primary mission that year was the resumption of proof coinage after the Coinage Act of 1965 hiatus, the facility also produced cents for general circulation, and these S-mint business strikes are notably less common than their Philadelphia and Denver counterparts. A doubled die reverse on this already-scarce issue compounds the variety's desirability among collectors. Obverse die markers include a light die scratch running south-southwest from the bottom left of the R in LIBERTY and parallel die scratches running north to the right of Lincoln's nose. On the reverse, die markers include a short vertical die gouge to the right of the top of the T in UNITED, a rectangular die dent on the left base of the Lincoln Memorial, and a die scratch running northeast from the bottom of the tenth Memorial column. The rectangular die dent on the Memorial base is a particularly distinctive marker — its geometric shape suggests a contact impression from a foreign object rather than a progressive wear feature, making it a reliable identification point that is unlikely to be confused with normal die deterioration. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc at the San Francisco Mint.

Die Markers

• Obverse: A light die scratch runs SSW from the bottom left of the R in LIBERTY. Parallel die scratches run north to the right of the nose. Reverse: A short, vertical die gouge can be found to the right of the top of the T in UNITED. A rectangular die dent can be found on the left base of the Memorial. A die scratch runs NE from the bottom of the 10th Memorial column.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References