1951-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Fifth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1951-S Franklin half dollar, DDR-005 presents medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, the left eagle wing, and the tail feathers on John R. Sinnock's reverse design featuring the Liberty Bell as the central element with the small legally-required eagle positioned to the right. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-059 and DMR-011, documenting three die stages with particularly informative detail: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C where a die scratch runs north from the B of PLURIBUS to the bell hanger at late die state, with the obverse also confirmed at LDS. The die scratch diagnostic at Stage C — extending from the B of PLURIBUS up to the bell hanger mechanism — provides a distinctive late die state marker that helps collectors determine where their specimen falls in the die's production life. San Francisco struck approximately 13.70 million Franklin half dollars in 1951, a moderate mintage for the series. The comments note "RDV-001b/RDV-001a," indicating this die marriage involves two Reverse Design Variants — an unusual notation suggesting either the reverse die exhibits characteristics transitional between the two RDV classifications, or that different die states correspond to different RDV assignments. Medium spread on the left eagle wing and tail feathers places the diagnostic on organic, feathered design elements where individual plume strokes provide high-resolution surfaces for detecting hub displacement. E PLURIBUS UNUM, positioned above the bell and eagle composition, extends the diagnostic zone upward, giving collectors three distinct examination areas. The Franklin half dollar series (1948-1963) was succeeded by the Kennedy half dollar in 1964.

Die Markers

• UVC-059
• DMR-011
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die scratch North from B of PLURIBUS to bell hanger – LDS
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Harry Garrison's Colonial Valley Coins
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References