1969-S 1C Doubled Die AU55 PCGS. FS-101....

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Description

Choice AU 1969-S Doubled Die Cent, FS-101
With Excellent Eye Appeal

1969-S 1C Doubled Die AU55 PCGS. FS-101. The 1969-S Doubled Die was discovered shortly after its release, yet today specimens remain highly elusive. The bold die doubling in places is nearly as dramatic as that on its cousin, the 1955 Doubled Die, an error coin that is nonetheless far more available. While the digits of the 1955 Doubled Die are more widely separated, the letters near the rim of the 1969-S Doubled Die are separated by nearly a half-letter width at IN GOD WE TRUST. The digits of the date and LIBERTY are also widely doubled, although not in so extreme a fashion as the 1955 Doubled Die.
Interestingly, all of the 1969-S Doubled Die cents were apparently made from a single die pair, as Michael Fahey wrote in his "Detecting Counterfeits" column for the April 1, 1996 edition of Coin World.

"Before being placed into service, the reverse die was rather harshly polished, leaving a number of strong die polish lines.
"Every genuine 1969-S Doubled Die cent I have seen has exhibited these raised lines, even the circulated specimens. The most easily seen are the two lines at the E of UNITED, the line through the M of AMERICA, and the lines that extend down from the lower edges of the R and I of AMERICA."

This also puts the 1969-S Doubled Die cents in common with the 1955 Doubled Die cents, which are also all struck from a single die pair.
But there, the similarities largely end.
While PCGS has certified nearly 3,000 1955 Doubled Die cents, that service has certified less than three dozen 1969-S Doubled Dies, with both totals likely including duplications. While the 1955 Doubled Die is readily obtainable for a price in the lower Mint State grades, Uncirculated examples of the 1969-S Doubled Die are seldom seen. The typical survivor, as here, is an AU55. This is an extremely attractive coin, with even, reddish-brown coloration on both sides. A tick at the top of Lincoln's hair and one on the beard are the only mentionable contact on the obverse. Singular contact is also nearly absent on the reverse, save for a small mark on a column of the Lincoln Memorial. These are minor complaints, however, compared to the overall high quality and excellent eye appeal this coin offers.

PCGS Registry Set Note
The 1969-S FS-101 is worth a whopping 10-point bonus in the PCGS Lincoln Cents with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1909-Present) collection--the same amount as the 1955 Doubled Die and 1922 No D cent. Population: 6 in 55, 11 finer (6/10).(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 22GJ, PCGS# 2921, Greysheet# 2366)

Weight: 3.11 grams

Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc

View Certification Details from PCGS