1988-S Proof Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Representing the same Wexler WDDO-001 attribution as its companion listing, this 1988-S Proof Doubled Die Obverse entry carries the explicit "Proof" designation in its title, reflecting the San Francisco Mint's exclusive role in producing proof Lincoln cents from 1968 onward. The doubling on this variety presents as a spread towards the center on Lincoln's profile, upper hair details, and the back of the head — hallmarks of Class IV hub doubling where a secondary impression is slightly inset from the primary design. Doubled die proof cents occupy an interesting position in the variety market because proof coins are produced with greater care and lower volume than business strikes, meaning fewer total coins exist but each individual piece typically survives in superior condition, making the doubling easier to examine and authenticate. The absence of significant die markers on either the obverse or reverse means that attribution depends on recognizing the specific doubling pattern rather than on confirming secondary features. San Francisco struck proof cent sets throughout the 1980s for inclusion in annual proof sets sold to collectors, and any working die that developed hub doubling during the impression process would have transferred that doubling to every proof cent it struck. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None significant. Reverse: None significant.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wexler Team

External References