1964-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Carrying medium spread on WE TRUST, date, designer's initials, and TY of LIBERTY with lighter spread on IN GOD, this second doubled die obverse for the 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar documents hub doubling on a coin from the series' inaugural year of production. VarietyVista assigns UVC-042 and DMR-004, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B showing the obverse at mid-die state with a die scratch from the upper F of HALF to the D of DOLLAR at MDS, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The reverse is identified as RDV-001 (Straight G), referring to the Reverse Die Variety classification where "Straight G" describes a specific characteristic of the G in the reverse design. The 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar occupies a singular position in American numismatics — designed in an extraordinary rush following President Kennedy's November 1963 assassination, Gilroy Roberts' obverse portrait and Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse were approved and placed into production with unprecedented speed. The Denver Mint struck over 156 million 1964-D half dollars in 90% silver composition, the last year of standard silver half dollar production before the Coinage Act of 1965 reduced the silver content. Medium spread on the date and designer's initials (GR for Gilroy Roberts, incuse on the truncation of Kennedy's neck) places the doubling in the lower right quadrant of the obverse where hub displacement effects concentrate. DDO-002 on the 1964-D Kennedy Half remains a sought-after variety because it combines first-year-of-issue appeal with silver composition and visible hub doubling on one of America's most iconic modern coin designs.

Die Markers

• UVC-042
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Die scratch from upper F of HALF to D of DOLLAR – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References