Double Die Penny: Values, Years and How to Spot One

A double die (the formal name is doubled die) penny comes from a working die that was pressed twice by the hub, with the two impressions slightly out of line. The die itself carries a doubled design, so every cent it strikes shows the same doubling (Wikipedia on the 1955 doubled die, CoinWeek).

Two other things look similar and are worth far less:

• Machine doubling (also called strike doubling) happens when the die bounces or shifts as it strikes. It leaves flat, shelf-like steps on the edges of letters and adds nothing.
• Die-wear doubling comes from a worn die. The famous example is the 1955 "poor man's doubled die", where only the last 5 looks thickened; it sells for a few dollars (Wikipedia).

One quick test from CoinWeek: mint marks were punched into each working die by hand after hubbing, so on a true doubled die the mint mark is single. A doubled D or S points to machine doubling or a separate repunched mint mark, not a doubled die.

PCGS Price Guide, updated September 24, 2026, for certified coins, U.S. dollars. Each line runs from the lowest listed grade to the highest listed price. G4 is Good 4 (heavily worn), XF40 is Extremely Fine, MS60 to MS68 are uncirculated grades; BN is brown, RB red-brown, RD full red.

• 1909 VDB DDO: $26 in G4 BN to $14,000 in MS67 RD.
• 1917 DDO: $90 in G4 BN to $92,500 in MS67 RD.
• 1936 DDO Type 1: $50 in G4 BN to $48,000 in MS67 RD. Types 2 and 3 and FS-102/103 run from $10 to $3,850.
• 1941 DDO: $50 in G4 BN to $35,000 in MS67 RD.
• 1942 DDO FS-101: $7 in G4 BN to $1,500 in MS64 RB.
• 1942-S DDO with repunched mint mark (FS-101/301): $40 in XF40 BN to $350 in MS65 RB.
• 1951-D DDO FS-101: $25 in XF40 BN to $125 in MS65 RB.
• 1955 DDO: $875 in G4 BN to $65,000 in MS65 RD.
• 1958 DDO: $340,000 in MS64 RD to $1,140,000 in MS65 RD.
• 1969-S DDO: $28,500 in MS60 BN to $605,000 in MS66 RD.
• 1970-S DDO: $1,500 in MS60 BN to $22,500 in MS66 RD.
• 1971 DDO: $140 in MS60 BN to $3,150 in MS66 RD.
• 1972 DDO (FS-101): $240 in MS60 BN to $23,500 in MS68 RD. The minor 1972 dies (FS-102 to FS-109) list $10 to $2,500.
• 1983 Doubled Die Reverse: $65 in MS60 BN to $8,500 in MS68 RD.
• 1982 zinc small date, doubled die reverse (FS-1801): $500 in MS63 RB.
• 1984 DDO: $22 in MS60 BN to $3,650 in MS68 RD.
• 1995 DDO: $3 in MS60 BN to $3,250 in MS69 RD.
• 2004 DDR FS-801: $30 to $60 (MS62 to MS64 RB).
• 2006 DDO FS-101: $20 to $75 (MS60 to MS66 RB).

The color grade matters as much as the number: the 1955 DDO is $18,000 in MS65 RB but $65,000 in MS65 RD. Year pages with full price lists: 1955, 1969, 1972, 1983.

Auction results reported by CoinWeek (June 15, 2026) unless another source is named:

• 1958 DDO, PCGS MS65 RD: $1,136,250 in January 2023, the first Lincoln cent to pass one million dollars at auction.
• 1969-S DDO, PCGS MS66 RD with CAC sticker: $601,875 in January 2023.
• 1955 DDO, PCGS MS65+ RD: $287,156.25 at GreatCollections in January 2023 (CoinValueChecker).
• 1917 DDO, PCGS MS67+ RD: $120,000 in 2019.
• 1970-S DDO, PCGS MS66+ RD: $38,400.
• 1972 DDO, PCGS MS67+ RD: $14,400.
• 1983 Doubled Die Reverse, PCGS MS68 RD: $7,050.
• 1995 DDO, PCGS MS69 RD: $5,052.50 at Heritage Auctions.

These are top-grade coins. A circulated example of the same variety sells for a small fraction; use the grade ranges above.

Wikipedia reports that about 40,000 were struck during a single night shift at the Philadelphia Mint, and that roughly 20,000 to 24,000 entered circulation, many through cigarette vending machines, where cents were packed as change (Wikipedia). CoinValueChecker estimates 10,000 to 15,000 survive today (CoinValueChecker). That makes it scarce but findable, which is why it is the best-known doubled die. The doubling on the date, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST is visible without a magnifier. Many counterfeits exist; on genuine coins Wikipedia notes vertical die polishing lines to the left of the T in ONE CENT on the back.

• 1958 DDO: only three examples have gained broad acceptance (CoinWeek). It is the most valuable doubled die in the PCGS guide at $1,140,000 in MS65 RD.
• 1969-S DDO: when the first examples appeared in 1970, the Secret Service treated genuine coins as counterfeits and some were destroyed before the government accepted them as real Mint products (CoinWeek). Survival estimates differ: CoinWeek gives 40 to 50 pieces, while the PCGS Price Guide listing says about 100 known. The S mint mark on a genuine 1969-S DDO is not doubled.

• Know where to look. Nearly every valuable Lincoln doubled die shows it in the date, LIBERTY or IN GOD WE TRUST. The 1983 variety is on the back: ONE CENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
• Check the shape. A doubled die shows a second, rounded image with its own full relief, often with notches where the two images meet at the serifs. Flat, shelf-like steps are machine doubling.
• Check the mint mark. It should be single on a doubled die (see above).
• Check the date. Only certain years and dies are listed; a 1990s cent with blurry letters is almost always machine doubling. Compare against the year list above.
• Look for known markers. For the 1955, the vertical polishing lines left of the T in ONE CENT; for the 1955 "poor man's" die, only the last 5 is thick, and that coin is worth a few dollars.
• Get the big ones certified. Fakes of the 1955 and 1969-S are common. For anything priced in the thousands, use PCGS or NGC; see should you grade a coin and how to spot counterfeit coins.

In the app, a sharp photo of the front in even light is enough to flag the date and the areas to check under magnification.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every price names the guide or sale it comes from and its date; where we could not confirm a figure we say so instead of estimating. Guide prices are for coins certified by a grading service; raw, worn or cleaned coins usually sell for less. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.