1951 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Holding the DDR-002 position for the 1951 Franklin half dollar, this variety exhibits strong spread across the eagle, lower bell, and bell inscription on the reverse designed by John R. Sinnock. The Franklin half dollar series (1948-1963) featured Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse — a design that initially drew criticism for placing the small eagle (required by law on half dollars) as an afterthought beside the bell. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-044 and DMR-005, with the additional notation that it utilizes Reverse Design Variant RDV-001b. Three die stages are tracked: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where both obverse and reverse surfaces have progressed to late die state. The LDS confirmation for Stage C indicates specimens exist showing advanced die wear, providing collectors with a documented die state progression for tracking this variety across its production life. Strong spread on the eagle and lower bell — particularly the inscription PASS AND STOW that runs along the bell's waist — provides multiple diagnostic points for attribution. Philadelphia struck approximately 16.8 million Franklin halves in 1951, a date where collector interest in varieties has been moderate but growing as the DDR census expands. The RDV-001b comment indicates this die employed a specific reverse design variant, which can serve as an additional confirmation point when separating DDR-002 from other 1951 doubled die reverses.

Die Markers

• UVC-044
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Hugh T. Campbell
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References