1880 Indian Head Cent Doubled Die Obverse FS-101 Snow-1

Description

Cross-referenced as FS-101 in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers' Guide and as Snow-1 in Rick Snow's comprehensive Indian Head Cent variety reference, this 1880 Indian Head Cent presents a dual-variety coin combining a Doubled Die Obverse with a Radical MAD (Misaligned Die) Die Clash on the reverse — two independent minting anomalies occurring on the same die pair. The obverse doubling is visible on LIBERTY in the headdress band, where the hub displacement during die manufacture created a secondary impression of the letters offset from the primary. The reverse exhibits the Radical MAD die clash, where the obverse denticle pattern was clashed around the shield and the letters ONE — evidence of an extreme misalignment between the two dies during an unintended die-to-die impact, severe enough that the obverse denticle ring (normally at the coin's outer edge) was transferred onto the central design area of the reverse die. This combination of two distinct variety types on a single die pair makes this a particularly notable and desirable variety for the 1880 date. The Indian Head Cent was designed by James Barton Longacre, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm. The 1880 had a mintage of approximately 38.9 million pieces. The FS-101 Cherrypickers designation marks this as the primary doubled die obverse for the date, and the Snow-1 numbering confirms its status as the foremost variety in Rick Snow's comprehensive catalog — dual top-tier listings that reflect the variety's recognized significance in the Indian Head Cent collecting community. The radical nature of the reverse MAD clash adds a dramatic visual component beyond the more subtle obverse doubling.

Attribution History

• FS-101, Snow-1