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What a thrill last week when I spotted a 1919-S Lincoln cent in my stash with some odd doubling! It sent me down the rabbit hole of coin varieties, and I can’t wait to share what I learned with you all.
The Moment of Discovery
While rummaging through old rolls, this 1919-S penny jumped out at me – the date and letters seemed doubled. My pulse quickened thinking about doubled die possibilities! I immediately grabbed my phone for close-up shots (clear photos make all the difference) and started digging.
Machine Doubling vs. Doubled Die: Spotting the Difference
My initial excitement got a reality check fast. Here’s what every collector should know:
- Machine Doubling (MD): Creates flat, shelf-like doubling from die movement during striking. Common and doesn’t add value – not what we hope to find.
- Doubled Die (DDO): Shows true separation from a die error before striking. Can be valuable if it’s a recognized variety. Turns out no known DDOs exist for 1919-S, so my hopes dimmed.
My coin’s flat doubling clearly pointed to MD – still neat, but not the jackpot.
Putting Variety Vista to Work
To confirm my hunch, I hit Variety Vista – my go-to for variety attribution. Some practical lessons emerged:
- Always cross-check online databases first. If it’s not listed, it’s probably not a recognized variety.
- This reminded me of a 1964 cent I once saved – turned out to be DDO-022, well-documented on Variety Vista. Quick tip: those numbers are catalog codes, not actual die numbers – easy to mix up!
This step kept me grounded and proved why trusted resources matter.
Making Sense of Die Numbers and FS Codes
I’ll admit the FS designation system confused me at first. Here’s how I wrapped my head around it:
- FS numbers (like FS-101 for 1972 doubled dies) are catalog codes experts assign – not mint records. Each usually represents a different die, affecting rarity.
- Actual mint die numbers rarely surface unless documented in quality control (which almost never happens). With billions of coins minted, matching a specific die feels like hunting for a needle in a haystack!
Understanding this helped me ditch wishful thinking.
Handling Your Own Finds
This whole experience taught me some valuable lessons:
- Start with crisp photos – your phone camera works great
- Check Variety Vista before getting excited
- Flat, shelf-like doubling? Almost certainly MD – don’t waste energy
- For promising doubled dies, get expert eyes on it
Even though my find wasn’t valuable, the chase reminded me why I love collecting – that rush of discovery and the knowledge gained along the way. Every coin tells a story!
