Minting Process & Doubling Question

Could this then just be a case of worn dies where they've lost their sharpness where the angle at bottom of a letter or number is less pronounced? I have a few clearly double dated coins, I was just wondering about grading and what would constitute the doubling attribution. I'm looking at a fairly high grade 1899 large cent I have where the last 9 or both 9's look slightly doubled in certain areas around the 9's but very sharp angled to the fields in others. Just wondering if this is typical. Thanks.

Thanks for that. It's in an ICCS holder without the attribution. Problem is getting a clear close-up through the two layers of plastic. If I can, I'll post it. I might try my digital microscope as well.

As stated above, coins, except some proofs or specialty runs, are not double struck. When just individual letters or digits appear doubled, it is usually the result of hand repunching of the digit/letter into the working die to try to correct problems that the hub(punch) contained (broken, chipped, worn sections of the design). When all of the design elements appear to have side-by-side doubling, it is usally the result of the working die coming loose in it's keeper or holder, allowing movement. The offset is usually more pronounced toward one side and toward the edge for this Mechanical Doubling. There are many specific types/names for different manners of doublings and there are a number of books that explain exactly what is happening. Each working die, while manufacturing it, is struck 2-4 times by the hub to make the impressions deep enough. These individual strikes/pressings can be done hours or days or weeks between them, since the hub has to be hardened and the working die annealed(softened) after each of the strikes. Any time that you have multiple mechanical processes that are supposed to be in perfect alignment, slight offsets are possible.

The only thing that I can think of for your question about a doubling on top of each other is when a small sliver or shaving of a previous planchet gets caught in the design element of the working die and pancakes it on top of the planchet on the same design element in the machine.

To me, and not necessarily in any book, a "recut" is done to the matrix or hub, so that ALL the working dies will have the same anomolies. When a working die is repunched or corrected (usually always by handpunch), then all of the coins struck by that die will have the same anomoly. There were many years in the Vicky cents where the hub contained only the first 2 or 3 digits of the date and all the working dies had the last 1 or 2 handpunched into the partially completed die, again sometimes hours, days or weeks apart to allow for annealing.... just look at the 1859's, but there are many dates. The 1899 that you mention is one of those dates, and it's also a strange year where they used two different font hand-punches to make the 9's so it's a date that's kind of mix-and-match with a number of dies having one or both 9's doubled.

The Charlton 2011 Volume 1 has the Large Cent varieties add-on. It lists three 1899 with a repunched last 9. A reference manual worthy to own if you are a variety collector.

Understanding doubling can be a bane. If you do not mind some self-study, the following link leads to a US website with great information about doubled dies : http://doubleddie.com/58222.html

ROB TURNER'S book on large cent varieties is the definitive guide----Hundreds of pages $300

lambecolin, is this the book you were referring to:

http://www.victoriancent.com/upload...tion_pdf.pdf