1955 1C Doubled Die Obverse, RD (Regular Strike)
Series: Lincoln Cents 1909-1958
PCGS MS65+RD
OBVIOUS DOUBLING
PCGS MS65RD
- PCGS #:
- 2827
- Designer:
- Victor David Brenner
- Edge:
- Plain
- Diameter:
- 19.00 millimeters
- Weight:
- 3.11 grams
- Mintage:
- 33,058,000
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
- Auction Record:
- $114,000 • MS65+RD • 03-21-2018 • Stack's Bowers
Major Varieties
- 1955 1C, BN
- 1955 1C, RB
- 1955 1C, RD
- 1955 1C Doubled Die Obverse, BN
- 1955 1C Doubled Die Obverse, RB
- 1955 1C Doubled Die Obverse, RD
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 1,200 |
| 60 or Better | 1,200 |
| 65 or Better | 75 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-4.9 |
| 60 or Better | R-4.9 |
| 65 or Better | R-8.2 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 25 / 143 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 25 / 143 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 12 / 143 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 25 / 146 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 25 / 146 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 12 / 146 |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 PCGS MS65+RD
Stewart Blay; "Red Copper Collection (Blay)," GreatCollections, January 22, 2023, Lot 1272982 - $287,156.25. |
|
#1 PCGS MS65+RD
"The ESM Collection," Stack's Bowers, March 22, 2018, Lot 2140 – $114,000. Top pop; pop one when sold. |
|
#3 PCGS MS65RD
"The Whispering Pines Collection," Heritage Auctions, January 16, 2025, Lot 4671 - $90,000. |
#3 PCGS MS65RD
Stack's Bowers, March 26, 2024, Lot 4031 - $45,600. |
#3 PCGS MS65RD
"The William E. Corum Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
#3 PCGS MS65RD
Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2016, Lot 5273 - $37,600. |
| #3 PCGS MS65RD |
|
#3 PCGS MS65RD
Heritage Auctions, July 2002, Lot 6218 - $24,150; Heritage Auctions, May 2003, Lot 5537 - $27,600; "The William Bickel Collection, Part One," Heritage Auctions, July 28, 2005, Lot 10126 - $37,375; "The Jack Lee Estate Lincoln Cent Collection," Heritage Auctions, December 4, 2008, Lot 278 - $34,500; Heritage Auctions, April 30, 2009, Lot 2115 - $35,650. |
|
#3 PCGS MS65RD
"The Patrick J. Mullen Collection of Overdates and Doubled Dies," Heritage Auctions, February 1, 2001, Lot 5497 - $25,875; Dell Loy Hansen; "The D.L. Hansen Half Cents & Cents / Major Varieties and Proof (1793-Present) Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
|
#3 PCGS MS65RD
"The Tom Mershon $2 All-Time PCGS Registry Set of Lincoln Wheat Cents," Heritage Auctions, May 4, 2005, Lot 5439 - $48,300. |
|
#3 PCGS MS65RD
|
| #3 PCGS MS65RD |
| #3 PCGS MS65RD |
The Famous 1955 Doubled Die
Red Book Variety. PCGS #2827, FS-101. The 1955 Doubled Die Obverse is a famous Mint error popularized by coin dealer James Ruddy. Ruddy famously advertised in Johnson City, New York that he was willing to pay 25¢ per example; however, he was quickly swamped with coins and ceased buying.
Numismatist Q. David Bowers (a future Ruddy business partner) was also a major market maker for this error. He established a shell company, the Endwell-Union Company, Incorporated, to serve as a vehicle for purchasing and maintaining a two-way market for the coins. Bowers and Ruddy later became aggressive buyers, with offers starting at $7.95. Of the approximately 40,000 specimens struck, around 24,000 were accidentally released into circulation. The remaining 16,000 still in the press operator’s bin were discovered and destroyed before release. The coins that entered circulation were primarily disbursed in and around Boston and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as well as Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton, New York.
The Cigarette Cent
One curious facet of the 1955 Doubled Die's circulation is that many specimens were distributed through cigarette vending machines. At the time, a pack of cigarettes cost 23¢, but the machines lacked a mechanism to dispense small change. To resolve this, distributors tucked two one-cent coins inside the cellophane wrapping of each pack before loading them into the machines.
Other examples entered circulation in less colorful ways. Surprisingly, despite being a highly visible Mint error, many pieces circulated for a significant period before being discovered. The PCGS Population Report reflects this trend: nearly 70% of certified "Brown" (BN) examples fall within the XF to AU grade range.
1955 Doubled Die Diagnostics
Obvious doubling is present on the obverse. The date, "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "LIBERTY" exhibit a wide spread due to a slight rotation between hub strikings during the production of the working die. Reverse: The reverse die is misaligned by approximately 5%. Also on the reverse are fine vertical die polishing lines, which are located to the left of the letter T in ONE CENT.
Collecting the 1955 Doubled Die
Adding a 1955 Doubled Die to a collection is a rite of passage for serious Lincoln Cent collectors. While other Doubled Die Obverse coins in the series are scarcer- most notably the 1969-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Doubled Die Obverse (BN #2921 , RB #2922, RD #2923) and the ultra rare 1958 Lincoln Wheat Cent Doubled Die Obverse (RD #92848)- the 1955 Doubled Die occupies the perfect middle ground: it is just within reach for the dedicated collector and just out of reach for the casual one. The doubling is so dramatic that it is nearly impossible to look away the first time you encounter one.
Examples typically trade for $2,500 to $3,000 in grades up to PCGS AU58BN, while a select PCGS MS64RD can command $15,000 or more. The market for "Top Pop" examples has yieled two wildly different prices. The PCGS MS65+RD coin from the ESM Collection sold in 2018 for $114,000, while the Stewart Blay PCGS MS65+RD brought a record $287,156.25 at GreatCollections' January 2023 sale of Blay's "Red Copper Collection."
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