Rare ‘doubled die’ penny fetches $2,000

That is a substantial amount of money.

This month, a 1955 Lincoln wheat cent with the unusual “double die error” sold for $2,050 on eBay.

The manufacturing issue occurs when the design on the die is inadvertently duplicated during the hubbing process, resulting in two identical, slightly offset pictures on the coin that create a “double” look.

It differs from a “double strike,” in which a coin is struck twice with the same design during the minting process.

The initial bid for the unusual cent was $1. Shipping is an additional $20 from Englewood Cliffs, NJ, according to the listing.

This particular coin is known as a wheat cent or “wheatie” and is part of a series that was initially struck in 1909. The term was derived from the fact that artist Victor David Brenner designed the pennies with President Abraham Lincoln on one side and wheat stalks on the other.

According to The Spruce, the 1955 doubled die Lincoln cent is one of the most famous US Mint mistake coins since the doubling is visible without magnification.

According to the vendor, Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) authenticated and graded the piece sold on eBay as PCGS AU50.

It is not the only expensive penny available. Last year, Blake Alma of the CoinHub TikTok account invited people to search their pocket change for a 1983 penny without a mint mark – letters on the coin’s front that indicate when it was manufactured.

Alma estimates that a 1983 cent without a mint mark may be valued up to $7,000.

»Rare ‘doubled die’ penny fetches $2,000 – how to identify one«