1959 Penny
Value, Error list & Coin Identifier App

The 1959-D RPM FS-501 is the most frequently encountered 1959 penny error variety. It occurs when the D mintmark punch was applied to the working die multiple times in slightly different positions, leaving ghost impressions of the earlier punch strokes around the final mintmark.

How to identify: Use 10x magnification and examine the D mintmark below the date • Look for spreading or a shadow outline of an earlier D impression • The repunching is clearest in higher grades where surfaces are well-preserved • The FS-501 variety shows the secondary D to the south of the primary

Value: $25–$75 (circulated) — $176+ (MS65, FS-501 variety auction)

The 1959 DDO results from a working die that received two overlapping hub impressions at slightly different angles during manufacture. Multiple die varieties exist, with the strongest showing clear separation on LIBERTY and the 1959 date. The FS-104 variety in Red MS-66 holds the notable auction record of $2,000.

How to identify: Focus on LIBERTY letters under 10x magnification • Look for clearly separated, raised duplicate impressions (not flat machine doubling) • Check the “1959” date digits • Strong varieties are obvious; weak ones require close comparison to CONECA reference images

Value: $25–$100 (circulated) — $2,000 (MS66 RD, FS-104 variety)

This rare error occurs when a silver dime planchet accidentally enters the cent production press and receives a full Lincoln cent strike. The size discrepancy is immediately obvious — the coin is visibly smaller than a normal penny and has a silvery color instead of copper. Both Philadelphia and Denver varieties have been documented.

How to identify: Diameter approximately 17.9mm vs normal 19.05mm • Weight approximately 2.5g vs normal 3.11g • Silver appearance, not copper • Standard Lincoln Memorial cent design on both sides • PCGS/NGC authentication mandatory

Value: $1,020–$1,057 (Philadelphia) — $1,570 (Denver variety)

Off-center strikes occur when the planchet is improperly positioned in the coining chamber at the moment of striking. A blank crescent appears where the die failed to contact the metal. The percentage of misalignment and whether the full date remains visible are the two most critical value factors for collectors.

Value drivers: Date must be fully visible • 10–50% offset range is most desirable • Uncirculated examples command 2–3x premium over circulated • Two-sided off-center errors are significantly rarer and more valuable

Value: $25–$75 (10–25%) — $150–$300+ (40–50%, date visible, MS)

Split planchet errors arise when impurities or gas pockets trapped within the copper alloy cause the metal to delaminate either during or after striking. The coin visibly separates into layers along its edge. A partial split that shows the interior metal layers with the design still intact is typically more valuable than a complete separation where layers come fully apart.

How to identify: Look for visible edge separation where layers peel apart • Interior metal should be consistent copper alloy color • Distinguish from post-mint damage: genuine lamination shows clean, horizontal separation rather than jagged cuts • Retained lamination errors (flap still attached) more desirable

Value: $20–$75 (partial split) — $50–$150 (dramatic, intact design)

Die breaks occur when the working die develops cracks or loses fragments under the immense pressure of striking. Metal flows into these voids in the die, creating raised lines or irregular blobs on the coin’s surface. Major breaks at the coin’s rim — called cuds — are the most valuable, forming a raised, blank area where the die’s edge broke away entirely.

How to identify: Raised lines, blobs, or irregular areas — NOT incused • Cuds appear at the rim as a raised blank area with no design detail • Distinguish from post-mint damage: die breaks are always raised, damage creates recessed marks • Location on high-value design areas increases premium

Value: $5–$20 (minor die crack) — $50–$200+ (major cud, MS)

The 1959-D Mule is one of American numismatics’ great unsolved mysteries. A Denver-minted 1959 Lincoln cent with the wheat ears reverse — discontinued after 1958 — came to light in 1986 when retired officer Leon Baller purchased it from a reader who answered his newspaper ad. The U.S. Treasury’s forensic division issued a letter calling it genuine; PCGS and NGC have repeatedly declined to certify it.

The controversy: Mark Hofmann — the convicted document forger — later claimed responsibility via spark erosion technique • Secret Service rejected that claim • The coin has sold publicly for $48,300 (2003) and $31,050 (2010) • Estimated at $50,000 for a 2019 auction listing

Value: $31,000–$50,000+ (if authenticated as genuine)