Expert: Joe Hylas - 1/31/2011

Question
I have a 2 headed 1988 Lincoln penny. It is a real penny. There is a Lincoln head on Both sides with the same date. It is in good condition, can read the date clearly and see all the writing and Lincoln face clearly. I was wondering How rare it is (cause i have never seen one before) and what it is worth. If you could help me I would appreciate it. Thank You.

Answer
These traditionally are made outside the US Mint.  They sell in novelty shops and magic stores for about $7.

Regards
Joe Hylas
www.AllCoins.US

I guess I should have been more specific about the minting process.  When a blank planchet is struck into a coin, it is all done in one swift process.  Both the obverse and reverse dies are in the press at the same time.  Both the front and back of the coin are struck simultaneously.  many people think that ones side is struck and then the coin is flipped over and the other side is struck.  If that were the case, there would be many 2-headed and 2-tailed coins.

There was a case years ago whereby the obverse die of a Sacagawea Dollar and the Obverse die of a Washington quarter were in the press.  A few dozen were minted by accident.  However, that is the only case that I am aware of.

Sometimes a coin that was already struck finds it's way back into the press and is struck again, and it may not even be the same type of coin.  I have handled dimes on cents, cents on dimes, cents on nickels etc.

However, I have never seen or handled a legitimate 2 headed error coin struck at the US mint in my 45 years within the hobby.

Joe