1961 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-012

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die identifiers UVC-175 and DMR-023, this 1961 Franklin Half Dollar carries a doubled die obverse with light spread visible on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the digits 61 of the date. The die progressed through three documented stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B showing both obverse and reverse at mid-die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). John R. Sinnock's Franklin Half Dollar design, produced from 1948 through 1963, features a left-facing portrait of Benjamin Franklin with LIBERTY above and IN GOD WE TRUST at the lower left — design elements where doubled die spread becomes apparent as extra thickness or separation in the lettering. The 1961 Philadelphia Mint struck approximately 8.3 million Franklin Half Dollars for circulation, alongside proof specimens for collectors. With the series ending just two years later when the Kennedy Half Dollar replaced it following President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, the 1961 date represents one of the final years of a denomination design that has become increasingly collectible. Light spread across multiple legend elements — LIBERTY, the motto, and part of the date — indicates a hubbing misalignment that affected the upper and lower portions of the die face simultaneously, consistent with a slight vertical or rotational shift between hub impressions.

Die Markers

• UVC-175
• DMR-023
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References