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How to Price a Double Struck Coin

Everyone makes mistakes -- even the U.S. Mint. Some coins struck over the years at mint facilities have received multiple strikes. This error occurs if a coin that has been struck once is accidentally sent back into the press and struck again with the same die. The result is usually an off-center coin that features parts of the normal obverse or reverse designs found on the coin. The value for these coins can vary greatly.

Instructions

- 1
  Get a copy of a price guide such as "Whitman's Red Book." The best guides are usually updated annually and contain pictures and descriptions of rare and unusual coins like double-struck coins.
- 2
  Look up your coin in the guide. Because these coins cannot be accurately graded due to the printing error, you will usually one see one price for a double-struck coin. Older coins of this type tend to be worth more. For example, a recent Jefferson nickel will usually list for less than $50, while an Indian head penny is valued at a few hundred dollars in 2010 prices.
- 3
  Assign more value to the coin if you can see a date. Multiple strike coins where the date is visible are hard to find, making these error coins worth a slight premium to collectors.
- 4
  Give the coin a higher value if the coin has more than two strikes. Whitman's says the value increases with each additional strike on the coin.

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