1960 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-009

Description

Notable for its die marriage pairing two doubled dies, the 1960 WDDR-009 proof Franklin half dollar has its obverse listed in the Wexler files as WDDO-012, making this a coin where both sides exhibit hub doubling. The obverse shows an extremely close spread towards the center on the date and TRUST, while the reverse carries the WDDR-009 doubling that defines the primary attribution. On the obverse, a short vertical die gouge to the left of the bottom of the W in WE provides a pickup point. The reverse authentication marker is a short vertical die gouge between the bottoms of the two L's in DOLLAR. This variety is cataloged under the Wexler designation 1960 50¢ Pr WDDR-009. Die marriages where both the obverse and reverse dies show hub doubling are uncommon and represent instances where two separately defective dies were paired together at the Mint, either by coincidence or because the doubling was subtle enough to pass quality inspection on both dies. For proof Franklin half dollar collectors, the dual-doubled-die status of this die marriage elevates it above single-side varieties, offering the opportunity to study convergent hub distortion on both faces of the same coin.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1960 50¢ Pr WDDR-009
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References