1960 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-005

Description

Attributed by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-140 and DMR-007, the 1960 DDO-005 Franklin Half Dollar exhibits medium spread on LIBERTY and light spread on TRUST and the date — a differential intensity pattern where the primary inscription shows the strongest doubling while secondary areas display subtler hub displacement. The medium spread on LIBERTY indicates sufficient hub offset to produce clearly detectable extra thickness or separation on the letter strokes, while the light intensity on TRUST and the date means those areas require more careful examination under magnification to confirm the doubling. Three die stages are documented: Stage A is early die state (unconfirmed); Stage B presents mid-die state with three long die scratches under the R of LIBERTY, and the reverse in MDS; Stage C is late die state (unconfirmed). The Stage B die scratches under the R of LIBERTY provide a particularly effective diagnostic because they are located directly below one of the most strongly doubled letters, creating a natural examination zone where both the die marker and the doubling can be assessed simultaneously. The Franklin Half Dollar was designed by John R. Sinnock, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver composition, weighing 12.5 grams at 30.6 mm diameter. The 1960 Franklin Half Dollar falls in the next-to-last era of silver half dollar production, as the Kennedy Half Dollar would replace it in 1964. As DDO-005, this variety occupies the fifth catalog position among 1960 doubled die obverses, indicating a meaningful population of documented hub doubling events for this date. The medium spread on LIBERTY — particularly on the vertical strokes of L, I, and the crossbar connections of B, E, R, T, Y — is best observed under 7x to 10x magnification with angled light that accentuates any secondary image displacement.

Die Markers

• UVC-140
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Three long die scratches under R of LIBERTY – MDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

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

External References