Found then sold for a confusing price **Buyer Update**

Historyhound

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Nov 2, 2006
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Apparently strike doubling, which is said to have no extra value, is worth something to some people. I found this 1972 strike doubled cent last week, while searching a $25 box, and decided to put it on EBay to see what would happen. I started the bid at 99c for 3 days. With about 2 hrs to go there was a 99c bidder with 1 watching. I figured I might get $2 if I was lucky and then had to run a couple errands. Came home about an hour after the auction ended and was pleasantly shocked with what I saw. Check it out.


**UPDATE** I have to admit, I stressed myself with a bit of guilt over the selling price. That all went away today. Have a look at the 4th pic down.
 

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Upvote 0

enamel7

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Apr 16, 2005
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

Historyhound said:
enamel7 said:
Hi all!
As I've said before just ask and I will try to help. First of all this is simple machine doubling. It wasn't on the hub. It didn't happen because the coin was struck twice. It happened because one of the dies had a little play in it. When the planchet was struck one of the dies (probably the top) twisted a little and created the secondary image as it settled in. I hate to say bad things about others, but you would have to be a real rube to bid on that coin. Let the buyer beware! Again, this isn't a double die and it for sure isn't a nice coin. Value....... one cent. To someone with money to waste......priceless. If you want to buy these just let me know. For that kind of money I'll get you all you want. :icon_scratch:
HH
Gilbert

This is why the sale price shocked me. Am I wrong to assume that "strike doubling" and "machine doubling" mean the same thing? In my desription, I also never called it "double struck". I made sure not to call it a "double die", that would have been VERY misleading, and I've seen alot of people doing it. I've seen people pay big money for "grease filled" dies too.
The actual name for this is 'Mechanical Doubling" It is not a double die. You did nothing wrong.
 

GMan00001

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Dec 19, 2006
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

As has already been stated, this is clearly a "doubled strike" and not a "double die". Another note is when it is a a "Double Die", the die makes an exact replica of the doubling on the whole run of coins that are pressed with that die and has an approximately known number of coins that are created with that die as well as distinguishing marks that can make that die identifiable even if the doubling is not as evident. A doubled strike (or machine doubling) happens at random an unknown number of times and is generally considered worthless. I usually just dump the doubled strike coins unless the doubling is particularly evident and even then I don't search for them.

Since it was properly labeled in the ad with clear pictures, the buyer has no recourse to get his/her money back in my opinion, but I am sure they believe it is a "double die" and will be upset once they figure that out. It was a nice profit for a coin worth 1 cent.
 

silvereagle78

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Mar 14, 2009
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

Historyhound, you did everything you could to represent the coin correctly, so I wouldn't worry. Who knows why people do what they do. It was probably some inexperienced collector thinking he was cherrypicking ;D I myself hate the mechanical doubling because I seem to find one or two in every $20 of cents. I still haven't found the real deal yet of any year. Take your profits and get another box. Good luck and HH, SE
 

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Historyhound

Historyhound

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Nov 2, 2006
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

silvereagle78 said:
Historyhound, you did everything you could to represent the coin correctly, so I wouldn't worry. Who knows why people do what they do. It was probably some inexperienced collector thinking he was cherrypicking ;D I myself hate the mechanical doubling because I seem to find one or two in every $20 of cents. I still haven't found the real deal yet of any year. Take your profits and get another box. Good luck and HH, SE

You know what really kills me? I had a 1983 double die obverse listed, literally right under the 1972 coin, and didn't get a single bid on it. Here is an up close pick of the doubling on that coin.
 

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astrocity

Greenie
Apr 20, 2009
12
0
SW Florida
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

Nice find and a good description. Really prominent double strike on the obverse.
Half the fun of going through coins for me is looking for varieties and errors. I've found two 74D DDO's halves in the last year (and not a single 70 anything).
The one I really would like to find in the wild is an 83 double die cent.
Great find... and good eyes :icon_thumleft:
 

JasonB

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Feb 5, 2008
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

I wonder if that makes this 1969 S Strike Doubling worth a nice premium? If this were a true DDO, it would be worth mega bucks.
 

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JasonB

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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

One more pic of the 69-S 'Liberty'
 

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enamel7

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Apr 16, 2005
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

JasonB said:
I wonder if that makes this 1969 S Strike Doubling worth a nice premium? If this were a true DDO, it would be worth mega bucks.
Only if you can get another uneducated soul to throw away their money. ::) ::)
HH
Gilbert
 

JasonB

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Feb 5, 2008
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

They say one is born every minute right? My chances seem good. I wouldn't decieve anyone - just like the other guy 'STRIKE DOUBLING' this is not a doubled die. :):)

I can't believe he sold it for that.
 

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Historyhound

Historyhound

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Nov 2, 2006
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Re: Found then sold for a confusing price

enamel7 said:
JasonB said:
I wonder if that makes this 1969 S Strike Doubling worth a nice premium? If this were a true DDO, it would be worth mega bucks.
Only if you can get another uneducated soul to throw away their money. ::) ::)
HH
Gilbert

After this experience, I'd be willing to say if you were to put it on EBay using the same description in the headine as I did, someone out there will give you a generous profit.
 

JasonB

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Feb 5, 2008
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I'm not surprised. You represented the coin exactly as it was. You told them, It's strike doubling. That buyer got what he wanted.

I wonder if it'll repeat or was it a one shot kind of thing?
 

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