1961 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-021

Description

Light spread affecting LIBERTY, IN, the last 1 of the date, and the last T of TRUST identifies this 1961 Philadelphia Mint Franklin Half Dollar doubled die obverse, the twenty-first cataloged DDO for this date. VarietyVista assigns die markers UVC-313 and DMR-036, with three documented die stages: Stages A and B at Early Die State and Mid Die State remain unconfirmed, while Stage C shows both obverse and reverse in Late Die State. The progression from unconfirmed early stages to a confirmed late die state suggests that most surviving specimens come from later in the die's service life, after extended use had developed additional die characteristics. The 1961 Franklin Half Dollar was produced in the post-war era, just two years before the assassination of President Kennedy ended the Franklin series and three years before the Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated silver from circulating half dollars. John R. Sinnock's portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the obverse includes detailed elements in LIBERTY and the date that are sensitive to even slight hub misalignment. Twenty-one doubled die obverses documented for the 1961 date reflects the substantial production volume — Philadelphia struck over 8.2 million business strike Franklin halves that year — and the depth of variety research on this final-era silver half dollar series.

Die Markers

• UVC-313
• DMR-036
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Umbarger
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References