1862 Indian Head Cent Doubled Die Reverse FS-802 Snow-6

Description

Listed as both FS-802 in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers' Guide and Snow-6 in Rick Snow's specialized Indian Head Cent reference, the 1862 doubled die reverse is among the more authoritatively cross-referenced varieties in this Civil War-era series. The dual attribution confirms its significance beyond casual die variety status: Snow numbers catalog Indian Head Cent die varieties with scholarly depth, while the FS designation validates the variety's identifiability and collector accessibility. A doubled die reverse is formed when the working die receives a misaligned second impression from the hub, causing every coin struck from that die to carry permanently duplicated design elements. On this variety the doubling is visible in the laurel wreath on the reverse — James Barton Longacre's carefully rendered wreath detail making the hub shift legible. The 1862 production context mirrors 1861's Civil War pressures: hoarding continued to force extended die service life, generating a higher-than-normal rate of die anomalies. The FS-802 cross-reference confirms Cherrypickers' documentation standards, making this a well-supported target for Indian Head Cent doubled die specialists. Dies were used well beyond their normal lifespan, making die deterioration varieties relatively common for this year.

Attribution History

• FS-802, Snow-6