1963 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-007

Description

Struck during the final year of Franklin Half Dollar production before the Kennedy design replaced it in 1964, this proof DDR-007 carries a light spread across UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HALF DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS, and the eagle's left wing feathers on the Liberty Bell reverse. Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-217 and DMR-024, three die stages trace the die's working life: Stage A in early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both reverse and obverse reach mid-die state, and Stage C in late die state (unconfirmed). John R. Sinnock's Franklin Half design placed a large Liberty Bell at the center of the reverse with a small eagle to the right — a layout that satisfied the statutory requirement for eagle imagery while keeping Benjamin Franklin's chosen symbol prominent. The eagle's left wing feathers mentioned in the doubling attribution refer to this small accessory eagle rather than a dominant design element. Seven documented DDRs for the 1963 proof Franklin Half reflect the collector interest that attaches to terminal-year issues, as the series ended abruptly when President Kennedy's assassination prompted Congress to authorize a new half dollar design in his honor.

Die Markers

• UVC-217
• DMR-024
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Baumann
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References