1971 Proof Roosevelt Double-Die ?!? Opinions

RSundermier

I recently got hold of one of those QX3's and was checking out some pennies (I'm a coppercoins.com fan) - when I noticed the mint mark on this 1971 dime just didn't look quite right, so I slid it under the scope. I thought I was having trouble with the focus ...

Here are Several pics of (what I believe to be) a 1971 Proof double-die. I took all of these, because I wanted to get light from every angle, to rule-out that possibility. Every feature is doubled directly north, even the rim - so I don't think it's a hub or kick-out problem.

The mint mark looks like it was struck 3 times - maybe 4. There is also a very visible ghost of the S even farther north - It is not a reflection.

If anyone can direct me to where I might be able to send this in and get it authenticated and/or graded, or just more info, I'd appreciate it. I don't know much about errors, as I am just begining to explore them.

Your advice and comments are most welcome. Thanks.



So - What do you think? Should I have it in a "safe" place ? Thanks again.

JRocco

Hey RSundermier, welcome to the boards. What you have there looks like strike doubling or machine doubling, not a hub doubled die. Notice how there is "flat shelves" not true secondary design elements. A second way to tell on a 70's era coin is if the MM shows the same flat shelf doubling, then you can almost always be sure there is machine doubling on the piece. Machine doubling is common on proof coinage. Here is an example on a state quarter.

coppercoins

Nice job Jrocco!

RSundermier - I agree with Jrocco...it's machine doubling. I don't know dimes very well, but I can tell you that machine doubling is VERY common on proof cents from 1969-1971.

cladking

Welcome aboard.

A couple of the pictures look a lot like die doubling but the others give this away as strike doubling.
If even some of the doubling looks like a shelf then it's strike doubling unless you can find some
quadrupled or tripled images.

nankraut

NICE pictures, guys!

RSundermier

Thanks to you all - But what about the mint mark? That looks like it was struck several times.
Does that take away from the value, add to it, or doesn't it matter?

JRocco

It doesn't matter. The S was struck several times, but it was struck by the working die more than once. The die "bounced" or you could say in this case there was die chatter which led to the normal S being impacted by the die. A true hub doubled die has the doubling imparted to IT and then just transfers the doubled design to the coin.