1955 Lincoln Cent. FS-101. Doubled Die Obverse. MS-65 BN (PCGS). CAC. OGH.This richly original example offers handsome tobacco-brown patina. The surfaces are satiny and as nice as would be expected at the impressive Gem Mint State grade assigned by PCGS. Not long after the first 1955 Doubled Die Obverse cents were discovered and popularized by James Ruddy, Q. David Bowers inquired at the Mint and learned that about 40,000 examples were struck in total. At that time a press inspector noticed the defect, and destroyed pieces that had been accumulating in a bin behind the press in question. However, some 24,000 others had already been mixed with the output from other presses and were on their way to be bagged and sent to the Federal Reserve system. Distribution of the estimated 24,000 pieces was to banks in the greater Boston area, in western Massachusetts around Pittsfield, and in the Southern Tier area of New York State, the district encompassing Endicott, Johnson City and Binghamton. All pieces have the reverse die misaligned about 5% from the normal 180 degree rotation, a feature evident on the present example. This is perhaps one of the most romanticized and coveted die varieties among 20th century United States coins.PCGS# 2825. NGC ID: 22FG.
