Finding a Double Die Coin

[Jim Beam]

I am looking through a large group of individual coins/proof sets/etc. trying to locate a double die struck coin. I have been studying this subject and I feel like I know the difference between a "double die" and a "double strike" but I am not sure I am able to find either. I use a 10x Hastings Triplet loupe, good lighting and I have the Cherrypickers' Guide books with the exellent pictures of double dies, RPMs, etc. to help me along. Is the 10x the right tool or do I need a higher power magnifier? It seems like no matter the angle at which I hold the coin, I can often see what I think may be a minor double die or double strike but I never find anything close to the pictures I am comparing with. They really show some detail separation. To find what I am looking for, do I have to hold the coin perfectly perpendicular to my line of view or does the coin have to be slightly tilted/rotated? Maybe a true double will be very obvious when I find one and I know they are not always very common but I really am not sure I am using the proper approach here. Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

[physics-fan3.14]

Yes, 10x is plently - that's what I use. Keep in mind that Cherrypickers only shows a select minority of double dies - they only show the most popular or available varieties. It is nowhere near a comprehensive listing.

 

The true doubling should be pretty obvious when you see it. The problem is, until you've seen a few, you don't really know what you are looking for.

[James_OldeTowne]

I don't have any good suggestions for you. However, it might be helpful to realize that there are actually many many many doubled-dies out there. The problem is that most are too minor to bother pursuing. So, you may indeed be seeing a bunch of coins that really are doubled-dies... but aren't the same doubled-dies that command a premium, or warrant inclusion in Cherry Picker's.

 

Happy hunting!

[WoodenJefferson]

Yet another theory that comes to mind is the vast number of mechanical doublings that are NOT repeated as in a true doubled die, but are randomly struck. There could be hundreds if not thousands in any series, especially post 1900 when automation began to appear at the mints.

 

What you referred to as “double struck” is not considered doubling on a coin. If a double strike ever happens, the coin is distorted because perhaps another coin has entered the striking chamber and they are mashed together or the coin flips over and gets pressed again, etc. These are all considered significant errors and the mint has taken steps to eliminate these kind of strikes out of circulation.

 

Mechanical doubling or machine doubling happens randomly due to vibrations in the striking process or ejection process. Once they are noticed during periodic inspection of newly struck coins, an adjustment usually fixes the problem.

 

Although machine doubling is considered a minor error, there are so many available, the market demands very little premium. The true “doubled dies” slipped through by mistake into circulation, long before they were detected and this is what gives them a premium valuation.

 

Good luck on finding doubled dies out of business and proof coinage…”They are out there”

 

PS: If you drink too much of that Jim Beam, all coins will appear doubled

[coinman1794]

I am looking through a large group of individual coins/proof sets/etc. trying to locate a double die struck coin. I have been studying this subject and I feel like I know the difference between a "double die" and a "double strike" but I am not sure I am able to find either. I use a 10x Hastings Triplet loupe, good lighting and I have the Cherrypickers' Guide books with the exellent pictures of double dies, RPMs, etc. to help me along. Is the 10x the right tool or do I need a higher power magnifier? It seems like no matter the angle at which I hold the coin, I can often see what I think may be a minor double die or double strike but I never find anything close to the pictures I am comparing with. They really show some detail separation. To find what I am looking for, do I have to hold the coin perfectly perpendicular to my line of view or does the coin have to be slightly tilted/rotated? Maybe a true double will be very obvious when I find one and I know they are not always very common but I really am not sure I am using the proper approach here. Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

 

Be careful to call it a "doubled die, " not a "double die." The nature of the manufacturing process is such that minor doubling is commonplace across many 2oth century issues. It is only when the doubling is very notciable under 10x or to the unaided eye that it becomes collectible.

[Jim Beam]

Thank you for your great replies. I appreciate the information and the education I am getting. I never gave breaking out the "Beam" as a way to loacte a doubled die coin but I like the idea! Thanks again, everyone.

[World Colonial]

You received some good answers but I do not think one is even necessary because you have essentially provided your own answer.

 

Any variation which is so minor which requires identification under a 10X magnifier seems hardly worth bothering with. There are a few DD which deserve to be recognized such as the 1955 cent but not many.

[jackson64]

Hi Jim and welcome to the forums...I'd like to give you a bit of advice from a different perspective..if you enjoy hunting for doubled dies, repunched mintmarks, hub doubling..enjoy !!

 

Don't let people tell you it's not of any value or hardly worth bothering....

 

I don't put any monetary premium on them, but I enjoy buying a few rolls of Mercury dimes and pulling out my David Lange book on Mercs and hunting through them for varieties. His book has a date by date list of the varieties (RPM's, trumpet tail S etc) that aren't really mentioned in-depth in the Cherrypickers ( which seems to focus more on value)....when I find one, I attribute it, put it in a flip with a piece of paper identifying it ( ex: 1943 RPM-002)

 

If you find any cool or interesting ones, even if they aren't worth anything, I for one would be glad to see them..