I decided today to let my Washington team take a break to allow you the chance to gaze upon a FIEND that will have you seeing double.  Yes this does not just have one 1968, but two and likewise it has double D’s indicating its branch mint origin.  This little fellow somehow after receiving the first strike shifted to the right in addition to turning a little more than ninety degrees all while another planchet slipped into the coining chamber below it. Then, WHAM!  The dies came down leaving a clear impression for the year of issue and the mint it was issued from along with some whiskers and clothing in place of the base of the bust as the designer had intended.  Now due to a planchet being in the chamber below the obverse parts of the motto E PLURBUS UNUM and all of STATES are distorted on my FIEND.  It reminiscent of the images I could create with silly putty, the latest Sunday Funnies, and a little free time.  All of that said I would like to think somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight, is a dateless Lincoln cent with a partial brockage STATES.  Granted having no date this oddity, as I imagine it, would never show up in my searches. Though who knows this imagined piece may have also shifted to the right turning a little more than ninety degrees to be hammered once again this time being date stamped to be something truly exceptional. This being said it would have not been a double date despite being double struck.  Of course that takes more supposition than I can infer from the evidence my little doubled dated Lincoln can offer us.

So sticking to the facts, and just the facts, you can tell from the photos he is held finger tight in an NGC holder.  The plastic headstone reads as follows 1968 D 1C, DOUBLE STRUCK, 2ND STIKE OFF CENTER, MINT ERROR MS 63 RB.  I suspect it would have graded better had someone learned some coin collecting etiquette, HOLD BY THE EDGE!  Still it was squirrelled away quickly probably by the owner of those fingerprints so not to go into general pop, so for that I and future collectors thank you.

Until next time………….HOLD BY THE EDGE unless it is a clad piece then you’re on your own my friend.
p.s. Please excuse the Fievel reference I typically have my own playlist,  being mostly 80's, on call in my head.