Remarkable AU55 1969-S Doubled Die
Obverse Lincoln Cent, FS-101

1969-S 1C Doubled Die AU55 PCGS. FS-101, formerly FS-028. The 1969-S Doubled Die is a remarkable rarity in the U.S. coin series, as one of the most prominent Doubled Die Obverse errors in the Lincoln cent series and indeed in all of American numismatics. A second 1969-S issue can sometimes be a major headache for coin dealers and others who specialize in Lincoln cents. Many, many Uncirculated rolls of 1969-S cents show strike doubling--also sometimes called shelf doubling, machine doubling, mechanical doubling, or ejection doubling--and beginning collectors often confuse the two "varieties." One is remarkably rare and valuable; the other has no numismatic premium.
CONECA, the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America, designates the 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse as CONECA 1-O-I, meaning it is die #1, with doubling on the obverse, and is a Class I or hub-doubled die. The 1969-S Doubled Die was produced during the manufacture of coinage dies at the Philadelphia Mint, which until 1996 was the sole supplier of dies to the various branch mints.
One of the last steps in production of the finished dies was the application of a mint mark via a punch tool. The working die for the 1969-S Doubled Die was produced when it shifted during annealing or work-hardening, between squeezes or impressions from a working hub. So the true 1969-S Doubled Die, while it shows remarkable separation between the doubled numbers and letters, shows no doubling on the mint mark, which was added later on. The separation between LIBER, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date on the 1969-S Doubled Die is so great that there is "open space" between many of the characters. The strike-doubled 1969-S cents show somewhat flat, shelflike edges to the doubled legends, and the "separation" between the doubled images is minimal.
Although the number of surviving specimens is quite low, Heritage has been privileged to handle a number of recent appearances of this much-sought and dramatic variety. On this piece, the surfaces are a lovely chocolate-brown with faint tinges of original red still remaining around the devices. There is just a touch of rub over the high points of the design. This piece in AU55 is one of four at PCGS, with 11 Brown pieces finer and only 16 finer regardless of color (9/09).

PCGS Set Registry Notes
This variety is included in the Lincoln Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1909-Present) collection, where it merits a whopping 10-point bonus. It is also included, of course, in the Lincoln Cents Complete Variety Set, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1909-Present), where it ranks the same.(Registry values: P1) (#2921)

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