1950 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Strongest on the lower half of the reverse, the spread toward the center on this 1950 Philadelphia Mint Franklin Half Dollar is visible on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the lower right tail feathers, and HALF DOLLAR. Cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 1950 50-cent WDDR-001, this is the first documented doubled die reverse for the date, with no other cross-references known. The obverse die marker is a small die gouge above the S in TRUST, while the reverse carries a small die gouge above the left side of the first U in UNUM. Center-directed spread — consistent with Class IV offset hub doubling — is particularly impactful on the Franklin Half Dollar's reverse because John R. Sinnock's Liberty Bell design features detailed lettering and the eagle's tail feathers in the lower field, where the spread concentration is greatest. The 1950 Philadelphia Franklin Half Dollar has a mintage of approximately 7.7 million pieces, modest by half dollar standards, making variety coins from this date less frequently encountered than those from higher-mintage years. The Franklin Half Dollar series (1948-1963) is relatively short-lived, and the first DDR for 1950 represents an important catalog entry for specialists who study die varieties across this fifteen-year series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1950 50¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References