1949 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1949 50c WDDO-002, this Franklin Half Dollar displays a very close spread directed toward the center on LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST — a convergent doubling pattern suggesting the hub shifted inward between impressions during die preparation. The center-directed spread is diagnostically significant because it indicates a specific type of hub displacement that differs from the outward spread or rotational movement seen in other doubling classes. Die markers confirm this particular die: on the obverse, die scratches run south-southeast from the lips and chin of Benjamin Franklin's portrait, and a small die chip appears on the upper left of the E in WE. The reverse carries a small die gouge to the right of the upper T in UNITED. No other cross-references are currently known for this variety. The 1949 Franklin Half Dollar was only the second year of the series, struck when the design was still fresh and die production was being refined for John R. Sinnock's portrait of Franklin. Philadelphia produced just over 5.6 million half dollars in 1949 — a relatively modest mintage by series standards — making die varieties from this early date less frequently encountered than those from higher-mintage later years. Two doubled die obverses documented for 1949 reflects both the lower number of dies consumed and the difficulty of locating specimens from a date where fewer coins were preserved in quantity for systematic searching. The Wexler Team attribution provides the primary identification pathway for collectors seeking this scarce early-series variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1949 50¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References