1963 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-008

Description

Among the final Franklin Half Dollar proofs, DDR-008 for the 1963 Philadelphia Mint issue documents light spread on PLUR of PLURIBUS, UN of UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and HALF DOLLAR. The partial word doubling — affecting only portions of PLURIBUS and UNUM — helps pinpoint the axis of hub misalignment, since elements near the tilt axis show minimal displacement while those farther away exhibit more spread. As the second-to-last year of the Franklin Half Dollar series designed by Sinnock in 1948, the 1963 issue preceded the Kennedy Half Dollar introduced after President Kennedy's assassination. Die markers under UVC-224 and DMR-029 document three stages: Stage A is early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B is mid-die-state (unconfirmed), and Stage C is late die state (unconfirmed). Proof Franklin Half Dollars from 1963 were struck in 90% silver on polished planchets, and the mirror fields enhance visibility of subtle doubling. Collectors should examine the partial spreads on PLURIBUS and UNUM along with the full inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR.

Die Markers

• UVC-224
• DMR-029
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References