1950 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Third in the obverse doubled die census for the 1950 Franklin half dollar, DDO-003 exhibits light spread on the date — a diagnostic centered on the numerals of 1950 as they appear below Benjamin Franklin's portrait on John R. Sinnock's obverse design. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-029 and DMR-005, with three die stages documented: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed), Stage B at MDS (unconfirmed), and Stage C where the obverse has progressed to late die state and, notably, the reverse is listed as DDR-003 also at LDS. This dual listing means the same die pair carries both an obverse and reverse doubled die designation — a relatively uncommon circumstance that makes specimens attributable to two distinct variety categories simultaneously. The comments note RDV-001b, identifying the specific reverse design variant employed by this die. Philadelphia struck approximately 7.74 million Franklin half dollars in 1950, a moderate mintage for the series that ran from 1948 through 1963. The Franklin half's design featured the elder statesman's right-facing portrait alongside the Liberty Bell on the reverse, and the series has attracted growing variety collector interest as researchers expand the doubled die census beyond the better-known dates. Light spread on the date indicates the secondary hub impression is positioned close to the primary, producing thickened numeral contours rather than clearly separated digits. Collectors examining potential DDO-003 specimens should compare the date numerals against known normal examples under 15x magnification, then verify the reverse against DDR-003 diagnostics to confirm the complete die pair attribution.

Die Markers

• UVC-029
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-003 – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References