1989-D DDO LMC?

Thanks Chuck, after I understand what you mean now...the connection between the mottling and the doubling effect.

Interesting stuff here. I was all ready to get all huffy and say that it had to be a DD. But after I started thinking about it I realized the difference. A true DD shows a double of the raised image, whereas MD or ghosting or whatever you call it is at a different level or flat etc. But that made me think: why does a real DD look the way it does? My understanding is that the planchets are struck twice. So why doesn't the second strike not flatten out the first image? If the dies are correctly aligned then you get a stronger image on the second strike, but if the dies are misaligned then the second strike should flatten out part of the first strike where they do not align. Why is this not the case?

BTW, there is a similar effect on TRUST and a little on IBE.

Oohhhhh, so it is the die that is doubled and not a misalignment between die strikes. That makes much more sense, or in this case cents! (Sorry, couldn't resist) So could a misalignment between die strikes produce the Machine Doubling that we all love (or hate)?

If you are asking if it is between two strikes on the same coin, then no. The bouncing Chuck is talking about happens on one strike of the coin.

A coin (non-proof) that is double struck is a different error.

Business strike coins are struck one time.

There's off center strikes where the planchet is not centered correctly between the dies:


Then, there are misaligned dies, where the obverse and reverse dies are not lined up with each other:

That's called a rotated die strike. Completely separate from all the aforementioned.

Two things:

1. Circulation strike coins are only struck once (on purpose). If the die is loose and bounces, it causes Machine Doubling.

2. The difference between die varieties and errors is essentially in that the design is messed up on the die for die varieties before it is hung on the press to begin making coins, and errors cover just about everything else involving the strike of the coin. The third major category, 'varieties', covers mintmark shape and size difference, date size differences, etc. - all the things that were intended changes by the mint that were made so that collectors wouldn't necessarily notice them...but often do. These involve changes in the design hubbed into the die or the shape of the mintmark punch used.

I now have three 1989-D doubled "989"s. I guess these are unfortunately not worth anything. That figures.
I suppose there are thousands of these 1989-D doubled "989" coins around. It looks cool though.