1960 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-013

Description

Positioned thirteenth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1960 Franklin half dollar proof, WDDR-013 presents a very close spread directed toward the center on E PLURIBUS UNUM, the dots flanking the motto, the outer feathers of the eagle's left wing, and the second A in AMERICA. John R. Sinnock designed the Franklin half dollar reverse with the Liberty Bell as its centerpiece, flanked by the small eagle required by law for half dollar denominations. The Wexler Team documented specific reverse die markers: die gouges found on the upper left of the D in DOLLAR, providing a secondary diagnostic for confirming the correct die independent of the doubling itself. No significant obverse die markers were recorded. Proof Franklin half dollars in 1960 were struck at Philadelphia with a mintage of approximately 1.69 million proof sets — the highest proof mintage in the series' final years before the Kennedy half dollar replaced it in 1964. The very close spread classification indicates the secondary hub impression landed extremely near the primary, creating thickened design elements rather than dramatically separated doubled images, which demands careful examination under magnification to distinguish from normal proof striking characteristics. The centripetal direction of the spread — toward the center of the die rather than in a cardinal direction — suggests the hub displacement involved a slight radial compression rather than a linear shift. The Wexler Variety ID 1960 50c Pr WDDR-013 formally catalogs this as a proof-only variety, and the high DDR number reflects the extensive doubled die documentation that late-date Franklin half dollar proofs have received from specialists studying this popular series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1960 50¢ Pr WDDR-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References