1946-S RPM 5 : what's with Lincoln's nose ???

[coppersleuth]

cherrypicked this at a coin show today. What is this on Linc's nose? True doubling or strike doubling?

if you look on the Coppercoin site pic for this variety, you can see what appears to be a similar characteristic on their example. I could not tell for sure because there was not a "nose" closeup, but it seemed faintly there.

Anyway, I assume strike double as it seems to have the usual appearance.

http://static.flickr.com/116/270955014_d98cfc6897.jpg

[coop]

It looks like that to me. Something else that may catch your eye on older wheat cents is the out line obverse bust. Someone must have been clearing the outline too hard and you can see it plainly on seversal of the wheat cents obverses. I don't have one in front of me, but when I get one, I'll take a shot for you.

Ok: I found one that is a weak example, but some I've seen are very strong. Not sure what caused it, but thought it was someone cleaning the die with something stronger than a wire brush on the bust near the fields. It is raised so it must have the die that was altered. Why? Couldn't tell you.

[coppercoins]

This has always been described to me as reduction lathe doubling created during the reducing process. It is somewhat common on cents dated from 1945 through 1952, and is especially common on 1952 cents. That's about the only information I can provide other than to emphatically state that it has nothing to do with strike doubling - the characteristics are completely wrong for that. The doubled line is rounded and smooth much like a doubled die instead of sharp and flattened like machine doubling.