THE 1936 DOUBLE DIE CENT

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 33, 2026, Article 19

As noted by Greg Bennick in his article about the latest issue if ErrorScope from the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America (CONECA), with permission we're reprinting this April 1988 article by Del Romines on the 1936 double die cent. Thank you. Greg adds: "More recent articles have better photos of course, but this article shows how the magazine has been producing numismatic content for many years." -Editor

For years I have been fascinated by 1936 Lincoln cent doubled dies, as they have provided some of the most beautiful and fascinating doubles.

I have had several of the varieties in circulated condition, but paid very little attention to the actual doubling on them because the detail was always worn off. I would just look in the book without really paying much attention to the photographs except for the major areas of identification. However, I had noticed over the past 20 years of searching circulated rolls of 1936 cents (couldn't afford BU rolls) that 3-0-V was just as scarce in circulated condition as 1-0-IV and 2-0-V, and yet the value was considerably lower. Many times I made comparisons between the three circulated varieties, and 3-0-V was basically just as strong (if not stronger) in most areas as the other two. Upon questioning this on numerous occasions, I normally got the same answers: "1-O-V is a Class IV and the rarest of doubles, and 2-0-V has doubling on the date."

GUESS WHAT! 3-0-V is NOT 3-0-V, but in fact is 3-0-IV, and it is doubled on the date! I was finally. (after so many years) able to get my hands on a BU copy. and there is absolutely no doubt, it is CLASS IV!

Since the photos in the doubled die book do not show anywhere near all of the coin, it is fairly easy to accept Class V, but if you look closely at the two photos in the book, you can see it is Class IV with the shift being to the east.

Just as in Wexler's book, you can easily see the strong doubling, and if you look closely you will see that the doubling is to the east and is not rotation- al. It is apparent after much study that the R on the hub was broken sometime prior to most of the doubled die obverses being made. A few dies bearing the broken R were placed into use -- possibly before they realized the R was broken. It is most apparent that they caught the break, and caught several dies before they were placed into use, and the broken R dies were rehubbed with a new hub. Notice that the second hubbing to the right had a complete R and not the broken variety. Dies #1, 2 and 3 were all first hubbed with the broken R, and then rehubbed with a new hub.

This photo shows that the date is also doubled to the east. The 1 shows no separation lines, but is extremely thick. The 9 on this copy does have a split tail, and very early die states may show separation lines on the complete date.

You can easily see an eastern spread in this photo on various hair lines, but the real clincher is the division line to the east at the front of the ear -- another doubled ear variety. The eyeball (not shown) is also doubled to the east, and the first hubbing can be seen slightly to the left of the visible eyeball. Numerous other marks, hairlines, etc., can also be seen on the head as east.

Keeping the drawn lines horizontal, notice that the corners of the first and second hub bed letters are in exact alignment, proof of an Eastward shift.

Here you can see near exact alignment on WE, and only slightly off perpendicular on the T of TRUST. The T is so near perpendicular that the vertical bar is exactly (plus or minus .0003") double. A small notch at the upper left of T also indicates it is slightly off the perpendicular.

The last photo shows that the lettering is still doubled to the East. Notice that the horizontal corners have now gone from the bottoms of the letters on the left to the tops of the letters on the right. This is the final proof of a Class IV east shift.

Due to the new finding of this rarest type of doubling, and years of records to indicate the scarcity of this coin, the doubled die records will be changed as follows: From 1936 1c 3-0-V to 1936 1c 3-0-IV.

As far as doubled dies go, I would personally pick up as many copies of this one as possible, and if I had the money, I'd pay $100 to $200 for BU copies. When the collecting public at large gets word of this new finding, prices are liable to skyrocket, and this doubled die could become one of the most sought after doubled dies of the earlier years.

For more information about the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America (CONECA), see:
https://conecaonline.org/