United States | |
| Value | $0.01 U.S. dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 3.11 g |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm (0.750 in) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Composition | 95% copper, 2.5% tin, 2.5% zinc |
| Years of minting | 1955 |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Abraham Lincoln |
| Designer | Victor David Brenner |
| Design date | 1909 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Wheat heads |
| Designer | Victor David Brenner |
| Design date | 1909 |
The 1955 doubled die cent is a die variety that occurred during production of the one cent coin at the United States Mint in 1955. [1]
When a modern coin die is created, it is struck from a working hub, which places the incuse image onto the die that will subsequently be used to strike coins. Normally, this requires multiple blows. In 1955, one of the working obverse dies at the Philadelphia Mint was misaligned on the second blow from the working hub, thus resulting in a doubled image. Due to the manner in which this hubbing was carried out, it most noticeably affected the date and inscriptions, with very little doubling (albeit noticeable loss of detail) visible on the bust of Lincoln. These doubled features were visible on all of the coins struck from this die. It is estimated that 40,000 of these coins were minted, all during one night shift at the Philadelphia Mint. [2] Roughly 20,000–24,000 [3] of the pennies were introduced into circulation after the minting error.
The 1955 doubled die is one of the most famous die varieties in US coinage. Very few exist today in totally mint condition, as almost all were discovered while in circulation. Over the years, many counterfeits of this coin have surfaced. It is advised for collectors to seek expert opinion before purchasing one of these coins if it has not been certified by one of the top numismatic certification companies. [4]
A seemingly similar variety to the 1955 doubled die is the so-called 1955 "Poor Man's Doubled Die" cent, created by die deterioration doubling. It is caused when the design on a worn die becomes eroded and distorted, causing part of the design (such as the final digit of the date) to appear doubled. It is much more common than the actual doubled die, and as such it sells for only a few dollars.[ citation needed ]
A "1955 doubled die Denver mint penny" is a plot device in the American movie UHF ; when R. J. Fletcher cruelly gives a penny to a beggar, the beggar realizes its value and uses the money earned from trading it in to save a local TV station that Fletcher was hoping to buy out. Although the Denver mint did produce some doubled die pennies in 1955, the doubling is not nearly as noticeable as the more famous Pennsylvania variety. [5]
The coin is mentioned in the 2010 Stephen King novella A Good Marriage. [6]
"Around 20,000 to 24,000 1955 doubled die Lincoln Wheat Pennies are thought to exist, many of which were distributed through the cigarette vending machine circuit."accessdate=11 March 2015
Finally, due to the high prices that the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cents command, there are many deceiving counterfeit coins out there in the market. One of the primary diagnostics of a genuine 1955 Doubled Die cent can be seen on the reverse of the coin. Since there was only one pair of dies used to create the 1955 Doubled Dies, all genuine examples should display vertical die polishing lines to the left of the letter T in ONE CENT. Therefore, authentication is strongly recommended for this variety.
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The cent, the United States of America one-cent coin, often called the "penny", is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States of America dollar. It has been the lowest face-value physical unit of U.S. currency since the abolition of the half-cent in 1857. The first U.S. cent was produced in 1787, and the cent has been issued primarily as a copper or copper-plated coin throughout its history. Due to inflation, pennies have lost virtually all their purchasing power and are often viewed as an expensive burden to businesses, banks, government and the public in general.
1943 steel cents are U.S. one-cent coins that were struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints each produced these 1943 Lincoln cents. The unique composition of the coin has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, zinc cent and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.
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A nickel is a five-cent coin struck by the United States Mint. Composed of cupronickel, the piece has been issued since 1866. Its diameter is 0.835 inches (21.21 mm) and its thickness is 0.077 inches (1.95 mm).
The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. The U.S. Mint is one of two U.S. agencies that produce money in the case of minting coinage; the other is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which prints paper currency. The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.
Proof coinage refers to special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies and for archival purposes. Nowadays proofs are often struck in greater numbers specially for coin collectors (numismatists). Nearly all countries have issued proof coinage.
Doubled die is a term in numismatics used to refer to a duplication of design elements on a working die created due to a misalignment of the die or hub during the hubbing process. Strength of the doubling can vary from very slight and isolated to extreme and widespread. The exact cause of the doubling can also vary, which is why a class system was created to outline the known and hypothesized causes.
Below are the mintage figures for the United States cent.
This glossary of numismatics is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to numismatics and coin collecting, as well as sub-fields and related disciplines, with concise explanations for the beginner or professional.
The quarter eagle was a gold coin issued by the United States with a value of two hundred and fifty cents, or two dollars and fifty cents. It was given its name in the Coinage Act of 1792, as a derivation from the US ten-dollar eagle coin.
The chain cent was America's first large cent and the first circulating coin officially produced by the United States Mint. It was struck only during 1793.
The 1974 aluminum cent was a one-cent coin proposed by the United States Mint in 1973. It was composed of an alloy of aluminum and trace metals, and it was intended to replace the predominantly copper–zinc cent due to the rising costs of coin production in the traditional bronze alloy. Of the 1,571,167 coins struck in anticipation of release, none were released into circulation. To encourage congressional support for the new alloy, the Mint distributed several examples to U.S. Congressmen. When the proposed aluminum cent was rejected, the Mint recalled and destroyed those coins.
The half union was a United States pattern coin with a face value of fifty U.S. Dollars. It is often thought of as one of the most significant and well-known patterns in the history of the U.S. Mint. The basic design, featuring Liberty on the obverse, was slightly modified from the similar $20 "Liberty Head" Double Eagle, which was designed by James B. Longacre and minted from 1849 to 1907.
Coin roll hunting is the hobby of searching and sorting coinage pulled from circulation for collectible coins. This is achieved through obtaining rolled coin, boxed coin, or bagged coin from banks and credit unions. A variant of this practice involves banknotes and is carried out in essentially the same fashion, normally to search for unusual serial numbers, star notes, and misprints.
The Lincoln cent is a one-cent coin that has been struck by the United States Mint since 1909. The obverse or heads side was designed by Victor David Brenner, as was the original reverse, depicting two stalks of wheat. The coin has seen several reverse, or tails, designs and now bears one by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield. All coins struck by the United States government with a value of 1⁄100 of a dollar are called cents because the United States has always minted coins using decimals. The penny nickname is a carryover from the coins struck in England, which went to decimals for coins in 1971.
Below are the mintage figures for the Washington quarter.
The United States Uncirculated Coin Set, known as the Uncirculated Set or Mint Set in the United States, is an annual coin set sold by the United States Mint. The set is marketed towards coin collectors as a way to obtain circulation coins in mint condition.
The 2000 Sacagawea dollar – Washington quarter mule is an error coin featuring the obverse of a Washington quarter and the reverse of a Sacagawea dollar struck on a gold-colored dollar coin planchet. It is one of the first known authentic mule coins to be released into circulation by the United States Mint.
The Continental Currency dollar coin was the first pattern coin struck for the United States. The coins, which were designed by Benjamin Franklin, were minted in 1776 and examples were made on pewter, brass, and silver planchets.
The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent is a low-mintage coin of the United States dollar. It is a key date variety of the one-cent coin produced by the United States Mint in San Francisco in 1909. The Lincoln penny replaced the Indian Head penny and was the first everyday U.S. coin to feature an actual person, but it was immediately met with controversy over the inclusion of the initials of the sculptor who designed the coin, Victor David Brenner, on the reverse.
