That’s lots of coin.
A Lincoln wheat penny minted in 1955 sold this month for $2,050 on eBay since it comprises a rare feature generally known as a “double die error.”
The manufacturing error occurs when the design on the die is mistakenly doubled within the hubbing process, leading to two similar images on the coin which might be barely offset, making a “double” effect.
It’s different from a “double strike,” which is when a coin is struck twice with the identical pattern while being minted.
The bidding for the unique penny began at $1. It also costs $20 to ship it from Englewood Cliffs, NJ, per the listing.
This particular coin is generally 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 opposite, which is how the nickname was coined.
In keeping with The Spruce, the 1955 doubled die Lincoln penny is one of the crucial famous error coins produced by the US Mint, since the doubling may be seen without magnification.
Skilled Coin Grading Services (PCGS) authenticated the coin sold on eBay and awarded it a grade of PCGS AU50, in keeping with the vendor.
It’s not the one pricey penny around. Last 12 months, Blake Alma from the CoinHub TikTok account urged people to leaf 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 might be value as much as $7,000, in keeping with Alma.