1948-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Second doubled die reverse for the inaugural-year 1948-D Franklin Half Dollar, this variety shares the same northwest spread pattern as DDR-001 — medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED, HALF DOLLAR, dots, and the right side of the bell clapper — but is attributed to a different reverse die tracked under UVC-010 and DMR-003 in the VarietyVista system. The distinction between DDR-001 (UVC-009/DMR-002) and DDR-002 (UVC-010/DMR-003) lies in the secondary die markers and specific die state characteristics that fingerprint each as a unique working die, even though both exhibit similar northwest hub doubling geometry. Three die states are documented: Stages A and B remain unconfirmed, while Stage C shows both dies in late die state with the obverse listed as DDO-002 — paralleling DDR-001's pairing with DDO-001 and creating another DDO/DDR die marriage on the inaugural Franklin Half Dollar date. The consistent northwest spread direction across multiple 1948-D doubled die reverses suggests a systematic tendency in the hubbing equipment or process during the initial die production for this new design at Denver, where multiple working dies developed similar displacement patterns. John R. Sinnock's Liberty Bell reverse, with its inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM above the bell and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR below, provides numerous reference points for detecting and measuring hub doubling. The 1948-D's first-year status makes each doubled die variety significant for the Franklin Half Dollar series, and the existence of two DDR entries sharing similar spread patterns but different die identities deepens the picture of how die preparation challenges manifested during the launch of this new half dollar design.

Die Markers

• UVC-010
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse is LDS
• Obverse is LISTED as DDO-002 – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References