Q&a Website Response...

I thought some people here might gain from a response I just typed as a response to a question on allexperts.com, a website I am an expert member of...

The question:

I have found a 1979 double die quarter. Can you tell me what it is worth? I have noticed there are many different types of double die. This coin it is very easy to see when under a magnifying glass. I would send a picture but my camera is not clear enough.Thanks for your time and expertise.

My response:

Okay...to my knowledge there are no known 1979 doubled die quarters. This means that you have most likely found a quarter that suffers from a common anomaly known as ' Machine Doubling'.

Doubled dies are caused when the die (the design that mints the coin) is created. The design is sunk into the die using high pressure. In order to completely sink the design into the die, it has to be partly pressed, heated, then pressed again - up to 8 times. If the die is not set into the press properly between 'hubbings' (sinking the design into the die), the result is doubling on the die. That die is hung on the coining press and mints multiples of coins...often 100,000 or more.

So, it's easy to reason that if there's one doubled die 1979 quarter, there are likely a lot more. Even though there would be thousands of doubled die 1979 quarters, they would still be rare because one die mints 100,000 coins, but it would take hundreds of dies to mint all 515 million 1979 quarters. Creating doubled dies is a rather rare event, so if one die out of 500 shows that form of doubling, it's still very scarce and collectible.

Two other things, however, cause doubkling on coins that is VERY often mistaken for doubled dies. The first, as mentioned before, is Machine Doubling. This happens when a die - any die - is fitted loosely onto the coining press. This could easily have happened with hundreds of dies - screws work loose, the die jostles around and bounces on the coins it mints causing a little doubling here and there. This effect is very common and is not collectible because it is accepted as a normal part of minting coins. No error, no harm.

Another effect is when a die is left on a press too long and wears down. The metallurgy of dies works so that when pressure is applied, the metal flows outward, slowly but surely. After some time the edges of letters start to chip away, which causes a raised ridge around them. This can also cause 'doubling' which is also worthless because it is very common and is also accepted as a normal part of minting coins.

So...telling the difference. That's a matter of experience for the better part, but I can give you a few quick pointers to help...

1. Doubled dies almost always show what is known as 'notching' at the corners of the letters. Imagine taking two square pieces of paper and stacking them perfectly together. slide the top piece up and to the left a little. The 'overall' shape that remains when you look at the outline of both sheets together is a rectangle with two corners missing, the bottom left and top right...a notch shows in each of the two corners. Doubled dies show the same effect.

2. Machine Doubling is a flattening of the edges of otherwise normal lettering. It smashes downward, flattening the corners and edges of the letters into a shelf-like flat doubling. No notches at the corners because there was no press-lift-press. It's just press and slide.

3. Die Deterioration Doubling happens with worn dies. The first characteristic is very mushy letters and numbers. Another effect is that edges of the bust, face, hair, and other details will be mushy. What replaces the hard edges of the design is mottled, pitted lines and swirls. The final effect - the doubling itself - affects the lettering and other details all the way around, causing a ridge around the letters on the coin. This is VERY common on late 70s quarters, and is especially common with nickels.

I hope this helps.