Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1926-S 50-cent Oregon Trail WDDR-001 with no other known cross-references, this is the sole documented doubled die reverse for the 1926-S Oregon Trail Memorial Commemorative Half Dollar — making it a unique variety within one of the classic silver commemorative series. The Class II spread directs toward the center, showing best on E PLURIBUS, IN GOD WE, the DAN of DANIEL, the tail of Boone's cap, and the tip of the barrel of the rifle, with lighter doubling on TRUST, UNUM, the 6 of the date, EER, and the rays through PIONEER. The Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar, designed by James Earle Fraser and his wife Laura Gardin Fraser, was issued intermittently between 1926 and 1939 to commemorate the pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail. The reverse depicts a pioneer leading an ox-drawn covered wagon westward, with a map of the United States showing the trail route. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver at 12.5 grams and 30.6 mm diameter, the 1926-S had a mintage of just 83,055 pieces, making it a scarcer commemorative issue. No significant die markers have been noted on either the obverse or the reverse, meaning attribution relies primarily on identifying the centripetal Class II spread pattern across the multiple affected design elements rather than on ancillary die features.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted. Reverse: None noted.

Attribution History

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1926-S 50¢ Oregon Trail WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References