I have a 1969-s mint US Penny! I want to know if there is a way that I can get it verified to see if it is the double die coin that is valuable. I barely know much about what to look for on the coin. I check to see if the lettering looks raised and it appears it does. The thing is that all the other coins I look at the letters also seemed raised. I am just an amature please help me out and inform me on how and where to verify it. Thanks
Welcome to CoinTalk. 1969-S Cents are not rare. Over 544 million were struck. Only two or three dozen Doubled Die '69-S Lincoln Cents are known so the odds are extremely slim that you have '69-S Doubled Die. The lettering on all Lincoln Cents is raised so that is not something to look for on a Doubled Die Lincoln. Please post good photos of your coin so we can take a look at it and help you determine what you have. Or you can compare your coin to the photos of a genuine 1969-S DDO Lincoln at http://www.lincolncentresource.com/doubledies/1969Sddo1.html .
Thanks for your help. The website that you provided clarified it all. I don't see any of the letterings doubled on the coin that I have.
You're welcome. I'm glad to help. You have to learn somewhere. So are you a coin collector or were you just curious about the one coin?
Without trying to appear sarcastic, if you have to ask, it is more than likely not the 69-S DDO. There are literally a bazillion machine doubled coins for that particular year with the key being, if the mint mark shows doubling, then its machine doubled. Having said that, if it looks exactly like this: (with the complete letter separation in "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST") The real key to the ultra rare (and expensive) Doubled Die 1969-S Lincoln is in the letter separation.
I am not a coin collector but I am one of those people that will examine their coins before it leaves my possesion. You might never know what you will find now a days that looks worthless but in reality the price will make your jaw drop.
Welcome to the club! More often than not we find coins such as a Lincoln that are worth $2, $5, or $15, but the more you learn the better chances you will have of identifying that "one in a million" coin that passes through your hand. And hey, I'm not going to turn down the chance of turning one cent into five bucks! With a little more research you might change your "not a collector" status and become obsessed too. An easy place to start is looking up repunched mint marks (RPMs) because they are often easier to spot, but once you find a true doubled die you will be hooked! There is a sticky note at the top of the error coin section that explains doubled dies and how coins are made that might help you on your quest. Good luck and hope you find something good
Almost forgot to mention-if you are simply hoping to find something in your change to give you a few extra dollars without the work of collecting, don't forget to look for 1964 and earlier dimes and quarters! Then there are also the transitional years where some coins were mistakenly struck on silver... I apologize in advance in case this sends you into hours of endless searches and piles of hoarded coins! :devil:
