Doubled Die Varieties of 70s Lincoln Cents

Researchers have identified at least eight obverse doubled dies for the 1972 Lincoln cent, as well as varieties for 1972-D and 1973-S cents.

The most prominent variety - and the most valuable - is the Philadelphia strike with the strongest doubling and the greatest degree of separation between the overlapping images. Doubled die specialists identify this variety as 1-O-I (which translates as: the first doubled die for the date; the obverse die is the one that's doubled; and it is classified as a Class I doubled die). The doubling on the 1-O-I variety can be found on all lettering and the date.

The other varieties feature lesser degrees of doubling and bring lower premiums. Several of the better "lesser" varieties would probably bring higher premiums if the 1-O-I variety did not exist. However, collectors should not avoid these lesser coins, especially those struck from Dies #2 and #3, as they are quite collectible (again, at lower prices than Die #1).