1964-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1964-D 50¢ WDDO-003, this Kennedy Half Dollar exhibits a very strong tripled counterclockwise spread from a pivot point at approximately 11 o'clock, affecting LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, the designer's initials GR (for Gilroy Roberts), and the hair detail at the top and back of John F. Kennedy's head. The tripling — three distinct images created by three separate hub impressions with progressive CCW rotation — produces a dramatic visual effect where each affected design element shows two secondary images fanning outward from the primary, with the degree of separation varying based on each element's distance from the 11 o'clock pivot point. Obverse die markers include numerous southwest-to-northeast die scratches to the left of the top of the head and to the right of the entire back of the head. The reverse carries two notable features: a flanged G in the FG initials (Frank Gasparro's designer mark), and an RPM variety cataloged as 1964-D 50¢ WRPM-006 showing D/D North — combining a doubled die obverse with a repunched mintmark reverse on the same coin. The 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar was struck at the Denver Mint in 90% silver composition at 12.50 grams with a 30.6 mm diameter — the only year of 90% silver for the Kennedy series. Gilroy Roberts designed the obverse portrait and Frank Gasparro created the heraldic eagle reverse. The Kennedy Half Dollar was authorized just weeks after President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, and the 1964 issue saw enormous public demand, with massive hoarding driven by both the silver content and Kennedy's memory. The CONECA cross-reference 4-O-II+V and Cherrypickers FS-25-1963D-101 [sic] confirm this variety's significance within multiple major catalog systems.

Attribution History

• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1964-D 50¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References