Searching through my rolls of mercury dimes I came upon this coin. Anyone have any info on it? The 9, L I and Y in Liberty and the motto all seem to have doubling but is most prevalent in the 9 and Y.
I hear when only a few digits are doubled, that's called poor-mans die. Still worth extra money however. It's a debatable value below the value of a coin with complete doubling of all letters on one (or both) sides...or just all the digits in the date alone. In this case, I'd go with one of the better prices to start if you want to sell it.
Dave: 1) The 1941 is strike doubling. That occurs when the top die shifts During the strike. It is considered to have no additional vlaue. View the 9 in the date. As you can see, there is a flat 'shelf like' appearance to the doubling. This is an easy diagonistic for strike doubling. For a true double die, the second image should be as high as the original digit. It should look rounded, like the first image. If you examine 19th century coins you may see images that are lower under the date, that is from a repunched date. Different technology. However, there are true double dies in the 19th centrury also. Vitagen: The poorman's double die that you refer to is always referred to on the 1955 Lincoln cent. It is also strike doubling, sometimes die erosion. No added value, and not a true double die.
C'mon Frank, can't you just lie to me one time and say I found something rare!? LOL. You and Speedy are like patriot missiles, you shoot down anything coming your way! Seriously though, thanks for the info. I guess I'll just keep on searching with my tail between my legs.
Hey Dave! I know just how you feel---it wasn't long ago I was posting photos of coins all the time trying to find a rare find. Those things will come! Your LG Cent with the RPD was a great find IMHO! Speedy
I always look at the mintmark. If the mintmark shows the same doubling, it most certainly is not a double die as the mintmark was punched after the die was made. I've seen some strong strike doubling that would fool me, hence I'm still learning.
I have to admit that although it appears to be Machine Doubling, the doubling on the "9" is exceptionally strong. Also, there appears to be no evidence of pinch off which normally occurs with Machine Douibling and is evidenced by the number or letter being abnormally thinner...especially on the side of the pinch off which creates the lower, secondary doubled digit or character. I hope you all can understand what I wrote but if not, I will understand! It is really hard to describe this type of scenario with the explanation being confusing. Frank
i, like so many collectors, know exactly how you feel davedawg. Years ago, i went through bank bangs of cents, pulling out all the doubled cents i was finding.. after several hundred, i started getting a weird feeling: if i was finding them SO easily, how could they ever seel for as high as they do?! Well, i found out shortly after alot more about strike doubling/machine doubling. I went though so much effort pulling all the cents out and 'bagging' them individually for easy record keeping, that after i found out the truth about what i really had, i left it all alone, threw them in a box, and they still sit in that box in the back of a closet still in their baggies
okay, okay--- MAN IS THAT EVER RARE! WOW! Okay, time to go out and buy that big house! Wow, like hitting the lottery. Boy, am I ever jealous. [okay, enough?]
This is only true through 1990 for P and D and 1985 for S mint coins. After those dates the mintmark was part of the master hub so if the die shows hub doubling the mintmark may show the same doubling as well. (Actually the P and D marks were added to the different denominations in different years between 1985 and 1990 so there may be doubled dies showing on the mintmarks on some denominations before 1990. I don't know the specific order and years when the mintmarks went to the master hub for each denomination.)
Thanks for that clarification, forgot to point that out. I also don't think that machine doubling is as common as it used to be. I used to wonder why people kept saying that machine doubling was so common as I could never find an example of it. Then, one day, I started looking at some Franklins that I pulled from circulation to put in a coin book and I swear, about 1/4 of them had strike doubling. Plain as day, no magnification needed to see it. One even had strike tripling.
