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1968 S Doubled Die Lincoln Memorial Penny Error

Lincoln Memorial Penny Overview

Designed in 1909 by Victor D. Brenner, the Lincoln Cent was embraced by consumers across the country because of its pleasing design. After a 50 year run with the reverse of the coin featuring two wheat ears, the Lincoln Penny got an update in 1959 from designer Frank Gasparro.

Gasparro’s design called for the change of the wheat ears on the reverse, to the new image of the Lincoln Memorial.

Included above the Lincoln Memorial are the mottos, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” The denomination, “ONE CENT,” can be found at the bottom of the reverse, directly below the Lincoln Memorial.

Brenner’s obverse design was unchanged in 1958, and still included a bust of President Lincoln facing right, with the words “IN GOD WE TRUST ABOVE.” The date can be found to the right of Lincoln’s bust, and word “LIBERTY” is in the right field.

Composition changes to the Lincoln cent happened twice -- once in 1943 and again in 1982. All cents minted before 1982, excluding the 1943 cent, were made of 95% copper and 5% tin/zinc.

In 1943, the United States government started making pennies out of steel to help save copper for the war effort. After 1982, pennies were minted with a cheaper composition, 97.5% zinc core and 2.5% copper outside layer.

If you want to learn more about the Lincoln Memorial Penny or other rare and collectible cents, be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Collectible Pennies.

About the 1968 S Lincoln Memorial Penny

Unlike most Lincoln Memorial pennies that were minted in either the Philadelphia or Denver mints, the 1968 S pennies were minted on the west coast at the San Francisco mint.

Since the San Francisco mint was focused on creating proof-quality coins of all denominations, a low amount of 1968 S Lincoln Memorial Pennies intended for circulation were minted. A reported 258,270,000 examples were struck for circulation in 1968.

1968 S Lincoln Memorial pennies were also struck in proof condition and sold mainly to collectors. A little over 3 million proof 1968 S Lincoln Memorial cents were struck.

The main difference between a proof and non-proof strike is that proofs appear to have an almost mirror-like finish, while regular strikes have a duller appearance.

Image Source Flickr user Mark Morgan

1968 S Error - The Doubled Die Obverse

Collectors have identified an error that appears on very few 1968 S Lincoln Memorial pennies. This error can potentially make the coin worth a significant amount of money, depending on strike type and severity of the error.

Referred to as a Doubled Die error, this error occurs when a coin is struck from a die that has part of the image doubled on it, leading some elements to appear to overlap themselves.

Sometimes this error results in very subtle doubling, while on other occasions the doubling can be quite strong and can be seen from a distance.

For the case of the 1968 S Lincoln Memorial Penny, the doubling can be found on the obverse of the coin and is referred to as doubled die obverse, or DDO. Specifically, this error can be seen in the date, as well as the mint mark.

Other elements of the obverse can be affected by the doubling, including the word, “LIBERTY,” and the motto, “IN GOD WE TRUST.”

This error can be found on both the regular and proof strikes but is more commonly found on circulation strikes. Since this type of error can not easily be seen from far away, some form of magnification is required to view the error.

Value of 1968 S Doubled Die Obverse

Since mint errors for any denomination of coins are very rare, the value is normally much higher than a regularly struck coin without an error. True Doubled Die errors are normally highly sought after by collectors, more than other types of errors.

Due to the scarcity of the 1968 S Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Memorial cents, the prices are normally high but depend on collector demand. For an average grade regular strike 1968 S DDO, the price is about $8. Uncirculated examples are worth approximately $20.

Proof 1968 S DDOs are worth much more due to their lower mintage and more regulated minting process. A Proof-67 1968 S DDO Lincoln Memorial Cent graded by ANACS recently sold for $125 on Ebay. Higher grade Proof strikes can be worth significantly more.

The prices stated above are only approximate, as these coins do not come on the market often. To get the most money for your 1968 S DDO Lincoln Memorial penny, you should send it to a third-party grading service that is known for attributing mint errors, such as ANACS.

Remember, these errors are extremely rare and not often found in circulation. Any suspected 1968 S DDO should be examined by a reputable coin dealer or grading company.

The post 1968 S Doubled Die Lincoln Memorial Penny Error appeared first on Treasure Pursuits.



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1968 S Doubled Die Lincoln Memorial Penny Error

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