Hi I've been looking for double dies for a while now... My question: are they rare....and if they are, are they hard to spot...like say if I found a 1995 double die penny...would I be able to obviously tell what it is? stainless
In some cases they are scarce, in some they are not. As to whether you can see a '55 DDO right off, here's a pic - you tell me. '55 DDO
An untrained person is unlikely to discover a new doubled-die coin, especially one that is 13 years old. You are more likely to find a DD coin if you know what to look for. You should first understand what caused a DD to occur. This site explains the process pretty well. The next thing you need to learn is how to distinguish between die doubling and machine doubling. The back of the Cherrypicker's Guide has a fairly good explanation. Also you should get a list of known doubled-die coins look at photos of doubled-die coins so you know what DDs exist and where to look for the doubling. Good luck.
for the most part think of it this way -- if they were so common .. would so many folks be after collecting them? I know there are instances that even common items get hotly collected .. but those do not happen very often. The real obvious ones like the one Doug posted a link to.. really jump out at you... alot of the others are tougher to spot. If you are interested in searching for cent errors and the like.. i highly suggest getting some books on the subject. Arizona_Jake would be a good one for book suggestions as well. good luck - hope you find one
GDJMSP- I can see that one really well, but do all '55's look that good right now Im using redbook to figure out what pennies have double dies and what ones dont, but i will do more research thanks guys, stainless
the redbook, while a good resource on its own, is NOT the best book for errors and the like ... While it does list a few, i wouldnt even call it a good resource for errors lol i am not into roll searching for such things, i get too frustrated doing it lol, soi cannot give you the name of what would be a good resource, sorry!
stainless - Spend some time reading all the links you can find here - Varieties & Errors That will make a good start for you. And yes, all of the real '55 DDO coins are that easy to see.
Double dies are hard to find. That's speaking from experience. I look through unc rolls and all the hordes of modern change I can come up with and it's very uncommon to find one. But it does happen. Check all your mint and proof sets that you already own as well. You definitely need to get some good books on the subject. The cherrypickers guides have been the most helpful to me. And for modern stuff, Potters book, Strike it rich with pocket change, is a pretty good resource. But the info on the internet is unlimited. And there are many on here much more versed on errors, double dies, rpms, etc. If you have a question, post it here, and someone on this forum will have the answer. Learn about the coins, the years, the errors to look for and your on your way. And take a boatload of patience along with you. It's a great hobby to branch into.
Just a minor point. It's "Doubled Dies", not "Double Dies". Sort of like the current lowest face value US coin is a "cent", not a "penny".
thanks for the help guys.... I will check out the links and get a few books on the subject thanks stainless
Stainless. If you want to have some fun check every quarter you get with your magnifier. You will be amazed at how many machine doubled coins you will find in your pocket change. I filled a book with such quarters in a very short time. Even though they can be pretty dramatic they are not really worth anything but it can be a lot of fun and a good learning tool.
Kanga is right. The right term is 'Doubled Die'. I stand corrected in my post. Now I think I'll check through my pocket of 'cents' to see if I can find some. Sorry for being a smart aleck Kanga.
