1955 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Reported by James Wiles, the primary doubled die obverse for the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar combines strong spread on LIBER of LIBERTY with lighter spread on IN GOD WE TRUST and the date, plus a notable light rotational component on the letters IN. The rotational element on IN suggests a pivot-point doubling mechanism where the hub and die were misaligned around a fixed point during hubbing — elements near the pivot show minimal movement while those farther away exhibit greater spread, explaining why LIBER shows strong doubling while IN shows rotational displacement. Philadelphia struck approximately 2.5 million Franklin Half Dollars in 1955, a relatively low mintage that makes any variety from this date more significant in terms of surviving population. John R. Sinnock's Franklin design, featuring Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse, was produced from 1948 through 1963 before being replaced by the Kennedy Half Dollar. As DDO-001, this is the most important doubled die obverse for the 1955 date, and the strong spread on LIBER makes it one of the more visually prominent varieties in the Franklin Half Dollar series. The concentration of strong doubling on LIBER while IN shows rotation rather than spread provides collectors with two distinct diagnostic areas to examine when attempting attribution.

External References