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Dynamic Highlight: 1943 Steel Cent Major Double Strike (Ex. Lonesome John) at GreatCollections

coinsharethenewscoinsharethenews ✭✭
edited August 21, 2026 4:31PM in Buy, Sell, & Trade - U.S. Coins


I was browsing GreatCollections today and came across a spectacular new discovery that I just had to share with the group. It is a dramatic, major 1943 Lincoln Steel Cent Double Struck, graded PCGS AU-55 (Cert #56228683). This piece has some legendary error history behind it. It was purchased in the early 1980s directly from John "Lonesome John" Devine—the founder of the Error Coin Museum and CONECA's very first Hall of Fame inductee. For over 40 years, it was held completely off the market by a single Philadelphia collector.The Ultimate Provenance:What makes this even cooler is that the coin is being offered with its original "Lonesome John" blue flip insert intact. It was just rediscovered this year and has already been featured by Mint Error News and CoinWeek.Bidding is already in breakthrough territory with a massive 68 bids already placed. It looks like serious error collectors are fighting hard for this fresh-to-the-market rarity, and there are tons of people tracking the auction right now.Check out the full listing and the crazy double strike images here:https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/2192961/Mint-Error-1943-Lincoln-Cent-Double-Struck-PCGS-AU-55-Ex-Lonesome-John According to the description, the coin will be on display for live lot viewing at the ANA World Fair of Money in Pittsburgh next week from August 25th through August 29th. If anyone is going, definitely stop by the GreatCollections table to check this out in hand!The auction officially wraps up on Sunday, August 30, 2026. There are no hidden reserves, so it will be fun to watch exactly how high this piece of history goes. Good luck if anyone here is planning to jump into the bidding war!

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    MWallaceMWallace ✭✭✭✭✭

    Lonesome John didn't own the Error Coin Museum. It belonged to Neil Osina (last name may not be 100% correct)).
    I'm sure @FredWeinberg will be able to verify or correct my memory if I'm wrong.

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    FredWeinbergFredWeinberg ✭✭✭✭✭

    As I recall, John Devine was at least a cofounder of TECM. There’s another name who was a cofounder I believe – I remember I donated my Error-A-Rama display to John for TECM, but I can’t remember who else was involved with it’s founding.

    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
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    coinsharethenewscoinsharethenews ✭✭

    @FredWeinberg said:
    As I recall, John Devine was at least a cofounder of TECM. There’s another name who was a cofounder I believe – I remember I donated my Error-A-Rama display to John for TECM, but I can’t remember who else was involved with it’s founding.

    Wow, thank you so much for sharing that history, Fred! Having your firsthand knowledge to verify John Devine's co-founder status for The Error Coin Museum is incredible. It makes seeing an intact, typed and handwritten 1982 Newbury Park flip like this feel even more like holding a true numismatic time capsule. Watching this listing from the sidelines, learning about the backstory behind these pioneering error collections is half the fun. I really appreciate you adding that context to the thread!

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