1936 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Class V clockwise spread from a pivot point at twelve o'clock affects the lower gown lines and the date on this 1936 Philadelphia Mint Walking Liberty Half Dollar — the primary doubled die obverse documented for this Depression-era date. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1936 50c WDDO-001 and cross-referenced as CONECA WH-1-O-II, the Class V pivoted hub rotation means the doubling radiates outward from the twelve o'clock anchor point, with design elements progressively more displaced the further they sit from the pivot. The lower gown lines and the date, positioned at the bottom of the coin far from the twelve o'clock pivot, show the most visible spread. Obverse die markers include a die gouge appearing as a dot between the D of GOD and the Y of LIBERTY. On the reverse, a die crack and die chips appear on the branch below the eagle's left-side talon. Adolph A. Weinman's Walking Liberty design, used from 1916 through 1947, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful American coin designs, and doubled dies on Walking Liberty Half Dollars are considerably scarcer than on smaller denominations due to lower production volumes and the larger die face area that required more precise hub alignment. The 1936 half dollar was struck during the Great Depression with a Philadelphia mintage of approximately 12.6 million pieces. The CONECA cross-reference confirms independent verification of this variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Sam Lukes Cross References: CONECA: WH-1-O-II
• CONECA: WH-1-O-II; Wexler Variety ID: 1936 50¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References