1942-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1942-S 50¢ WDDO-002, this Walking Liberty Half Dollar displays a Class II spread toward the center on an extensive array of obverse design elements: the top of Liberty’s head, stars, branches and leaves behind the head, the right side of the collar, BER of LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST. Weaker doubling also appears on the ground on both sides of the foot to the left and the bottom of the gown to the left, documenting how the hub displacement diminished in intensity across the lower portion of the die face. The centerward direction of the spread indicates the secondary hub impression shifted inward relative to the primary, creating doubled images on the interior side of each affected design element. Obverse die markers include a very light die scratch running east-northeast from the upper left side of the R in LIBERTY to the rim. The reverse exhibits a large die chip with a very light die crack extending north on the pine cone located at the left center of the olive branch. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are currently known. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, featuring Liberty striding forward on the obverse and a heraldic eagle on the reverse. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1942, the coin is composed of 90% silver at 12.50 grams with a 30.6 mm diameter. The 1942-S had a mintage of approximately 10.3 million pieces. Weinman’s high-relief design with its flowing drapery, detailed stars, and intricate botanical elements makes even subtle Class II doubling visible across multiple design features, and the large pine cone die chip on the reverse provides a convenient secondary confirmation marker.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1942-S 50¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References