Lot 673
1955. Doubled die obverse. NGC graded MS-64 Red & Brown. Boldly struck. A shortage of circulating Cents during the summer of 1955 set the stage for the creation of this unusual error, perhaps the most famous error in all of 20th century U.S. numismatics. The increased demand for Cents this year compelled the Philadelphia Mint to speed its production schedule and, correspondingly, to lessen its quality control. As a result, an obverse die that had accidentally rotated between blows from the working hub slipped past the inspectiors and ended up in the press. Paired with a correctly made reverse die, this obverse struck between 20,000 and 24,000 Doubled Die Cents between midnight and 8 o'clock in the morning one day during the summer of 1955. The error was not discovered until after these coins had been integrated with other properly produced 1955 Cents. Since he did not want to destroy 10 million Cents in order to stop the Doubled Die examples from leaving the Mint, Chief Coiner Sydney C. Engel decided to let them pass. The first example was discovered by the public in Massachusetts late in 1955, and the error became popular within a few years. While obtainable with patience in the XF-AU grades, the 1955/55 Doubled Die is truly rare at the finer levels of Mint State preservation.
This is one of the finest certified "R&B" Gems, Both obverse and reverse retain brilliant mint red to orange hues, original, spot-free, gleaming, with a few tiny marks scarcely out of the ordinary. The coin has never been dipped or wiped by former owners, nor in any way kept other than in its original state of preservation. Few other challengers have been seen. The rarity and quality are both undisputed.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 3,600.
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| Realized $4,485 |
