1955 doubled die cent
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The 1955 doubled die cent is a minting error that occurred during production of the one cent coin at the United States Mint, in 1955.
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[edit] Origins
When a modern coinage 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 visible on the bust of Lincoln. These doubled features were visible on all of the coins struck from this die [1].
The 1955 doubled die is one of the most famous error coins. It is well-known and collectible enough for genuine doubled die coins to fetch prices in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on condition.
A seemingly similar error to the 1955 doubled die is die deterioration doubling, or "poor man's double die." It is caused when the design on a worn die becomes eroded and distorted. It is much more common than the actual doubled die, and as such it sells for only a few dollars.
[edit] Trivia
A 1955 doubled die Denver mint penny was a plot device in the American movie UHF when a rich man cruelly gives a penny to a beggar. The penny is valuable, and the beggar ends up with wealth after the rich man's avarice has bankrupted him. (The actual 1955 doubled die pennies were from the Philadelphia mint, not Denver.)
