an interesting article about the ultimate, SEXY mint made error coin

[michael]

 

The 1955 Doubled-Die Cent: Once a Novelty, Now a Coveted Rarity

 

Mint errors are all the rage these days. In recent months, the United States Mint has turned out a dizzying array of misstruck coins – some of them so unusual that they never had been encountered before in the Mint’s more than 200-year history. These coins are bringing impressive prices as collectibles – sometimes in the tens of thousands of dollars. The jury is still out, though, on just how rare and valuable they are, and where their price levels eventually will settle in the marketplace.

 

There is no such uncertainty regarding the 1955 doubled-die cent.

 

This coin, one of the most dramatic U.S. mint errors of the 20th century, has established a solid track record over the years, and collectors now feel comfortable that they know how rare it is and how much it’s worth.

 

Most important, it has grown in stature from a novelty item to a legitimate rarity – one that is now among the most coveted and valuable components of the enormously popular Lincoln cent series.

 

Doubled-die coins result from mistakes in the making of dies for the coins, rather than in the striking of the coins themselves. With the 1955 doubled-die cents, it wasn’t a case of each coin being struck more than once in shifted positions; rather, it was a matter of each defective coin being struck just once with a die on which the doubling already was stamped. This doubling, in turn, occurred when the die received multiple strikes from a hub in misaligned positions. Technicians apply more than one blow to a die in order to impart the design with sharp detail. Only the obverse (or “heads” side) of the 1955 mint error was affected; there was no doubling on the reverse. But the obverse doubling was obvious to the naked eye, especially in the date and inscriptions.

 

According to knowledgeable sources, the mistake was discovered before the coins left the Philadelphia Mint. But because they had become interspersed with normal cents, it was decided to release them. By contrast, the Mint has acknowledged destroying thousands of coins following the recent discovery of the “mule” error combining the obverse of a statehood Washington quarter with the reverse of a Sacagawea dollar. At least a handful got out anyway. There’s no way of knowing exactly how many 1955 doubled-die cents escaped, but the figure 20,000 is widely accepted. These coins turned up initially in the East, especially in New England, and their rarity and value weren’t fully grasped in the beginning. As time went by, however, and only limited numbers were accounted for, the coins’ market value rose steadily and significantly. Today, they’re worth over one thousand dollars even in xf/au condition, and many tens of thousands thousands in gem full original red. That puts them high on the list of Lincoln cent “keys,” right up there with the 1909-S VDB and the 1914-D.

 

Make no mistake, the 1955 doubled-die cent is a numismatic aristocrat now. It may not be novel any more, but it’s definitely noble.

 

reformatted and adjusted from an article from www.jeffersoncb.com

[chinook]

Indeed. Double die = DD.

[WoodenJefferson]

I've never really considered Abe SEXY by any stretch of the imagination...but like Hallmark, "it made me look"

 

The 55 doubled die cent sure is SEXY though, thanks for the reminder.

[DC Dawg]

I have one! NGC AU58BN. Cool Coin!!

 

Scott

[rrantique]

I've never really considered Abe SEXY by any stretch of the imagination...but like Hallmark, "it made me look"

 

The 55 doubled die cent sure is SEXY though, thanks for the reminder.

 

I think i am seeing doubled.

[JRocco]

One of the favorite coins in my collection.

[Dcoin]

I always thought it was stamped twice. Live and learn. Thanks for the info.

[SkyMan]

Nice article Michael!

 

 

JR, that is a sexy coin!

[michael]

thanks! skyman

 

yes a really sexy incredible eye appealling 55 ddo JR

[123cents]

Great article. Thanks for posting it Michael.

[MarkFeld]

Today, they’re worth over one thousand dollars even in xf/au condition, and many tens of thousands thousands in gem full original red

I have to take issue with the "many tens of thousands thousands in gem full original red" part. That seems at least somewhat exaggerated, unless "many" equates to less than 5 or 6.

[chinook]

[DC Dawg]

What is the grade on that beauty?

[MarkFeld]

What is the grade on that beauty?

It looks like a solid AU to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rrantique]

What is the grade on that beauty?

It looks like a solid AU to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is a very nice example

[michael]

many tens of thousands of $$$$ in gem red

 

not many tens of thousands available in gem red

 

[michael]

 

 

Today, they’re worth over one thousand dollars even in xf/au condition, and many tens of thousands thousands in gem full original red

 

yes it has to do with worth WORTH

 

today they are worth over 1000 dollars in xf/au condition

 

and many tens of thousands in gem original full red

 

(tens of thousands of dollars)

 

if i MEANT TO SAY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES I WOULD HAVE SAID AND MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE IN GEM ORIGINAL FULL RED

 

it is assumed in this sentence when you start meaning $$$$ you mean dollars in the next (later) part

[chinook]

What is the grade on that beauty?

It looks like a solid AU to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it certainly is a solid AU.

[michael]

looks like chinooks coin is

 

nice ms65 and so close to rb

 

so for me ms65 PQ brown coin

[MarkFeld]

 

Today, they’re worth over one thousand dollars even in xf/au condition, and many tens of thousands thousands in gem full original red

 

yes it has to do with worth WORTH

 

today they are worth over 1000 dollars in xf/au condition

 

and many tens of thousands in gem original full red

 

(tens of thousands of dollars)

 

if i MEANT TO SAY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES I WOULD HAVE SAID AND MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE IN GEM ORIGINAL FULL RED

 

it is assumed in this sentence when you start meaning $$$$ you mean dollars in the next (later) part

Michael, I understood perfectly well that the "many tens of thousands" was in reference to value and not the number of "gem original full red" examples extant. However, I don't think that they are worth "many tens of thousands". Please define "gem" and "many"? Thank you and don't be grumpy.

[michael]

mark and i see your point it is correct and well taken

 

 

i stand corrected, and yes when i posted this i have to admit i had my knickers in a twist

 

i apologise my friend, i got to try better to make my thoughts more clearer in words

[MarkFeld]

mark and i see your point it is correct and well taken

 

 

i stand corrected, and yes when i posted this i have to admit i had my knickers in a twist

 

i apologise my friend, i got to try better to make my thoughts more clearer in words

Michael, you're such a pushover when you're no longer grumpy.