Rare 'doubled die' penny sells for $2K how to spot one

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That’s a lot of coin.

A Lincoln wheat penny minted in 1955 sold this month for $2,050 on eBay because it contains a rare feature known as a “double die error.”

The manufacturing error occurs when the design on the die is mistakenly doubled in the hubbing process, resulting in two identical images on the coin that are slightly offset, creating a “double” effect.

It’s different from a “double strike,” which is when a coin is struck twice with the same pattern while being minted.

The bidding for the unique penny started at $1. It also costs $20 to ship it from Englewood Cliffs, NJ, per the listing.

This particular coin is known as a wheat cent or “wheatie,” a series first minted in 1909. Designed by artist Victor David Brenner, the pennies feature President Abraham Lincoln on one side and stalks of wheat on the other, which is how the nickname was coined.

According to The Spruce, the 1955 doubled die Lincoln penny is one of the most famous error coins produced by the US Mint, because the doubling can be seen without magnification.

Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) authenticated the coin sold on eBay and awarded it a grade of PCGS AU50, according to the seller.

It’s not the only pricey penny around. Last year, Blake Alma from the CoinHub TikTok account urged people to look through their loose change for a 1983 penny with no mint mark — letters on the face of the coin that indicate where the coin was made.

If the 1983 penny lacks a mint mark, it could be worth up to $7,000, according to Alma.

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