1867 Doubled Die Obverse

The 1867 Doubled Die Obverse two-cent piece shows dramatic doubling in the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon across the shield. Q. David Bowers has compared its visual impact to the famous 1955 Lincoln cent Doubled Die, with letters showing clear, cleanly separated secondary images rather than the subtle machine-doubling that fools novice collectors. The variety was created during hubbing, when the working die received two offset impressions from the master hub. Every coin struck from that die carries identical doubling.

The 1867 DDO is rare. PCGS estimates only 40 examples survive across all grades, with just 5 at the gem level of MS65 or better. Surviving examples command strong premiums, and an MS66 Red-Brown brought $16,450 at Heritage in January 2017. For a nineteenth-century doubled die variety, the 1867 is among the most dramatic and most desirable, and collectors who specialize in doubled die errors pursue it as a key piece alongside the 1955, 1969-S, and 1972 Lincoln cent DDOs.

Identification is straightforward on coins in Fine or better condition, where the doubling in the motto is visible under a standard loupe and often without magnification. Certification services attribute the variety on their holders, and the premium over standard 1867 two-cent pieces is substantial enough that unverified coins are not worth paying the variety price.