1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-013

Description

Thirteenth in the proof Kennedy Half Dollar DDO catalog for 1964, WDDO-013 (Wexler reference 1964 50c Pr WDDO-013) was identified by the Wexler Team as part of their comprehensive survey of the 1964 proof die population. The number thirteen carries no superstitious weight in die variety attribution — it simply marks this working die's position in the discovery or submission sequence, and the variety stands on its own diagnostic merits regardless of catalog placement. Gilroy Roberts adapted his Kennedy portrait for the half dollar from the presidential inaugural medal he had designed for the 1961 ceremony, and the translation from medal to coin required adjustments to the relief depth, border proportions, and inscription placement to accommodate the half dollar's 30.6 mm diameter and high-speed coinage press requirements. These design adaptations affect where and how hub doubling registers: the shallower relief of the coin version compared to the medal original means that some design features that would show dramatic doubling on a medal die may present more subtly on the coin die, while the precise lettering required for coinage — particularly LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST — remains highly sensitive to displacement. Struck on polished 90% silver planchets with mirror-finish dies, the 1964 proof Kennedy Half Dollar combines the reflective contrast needed for easy variety identification with the historical significance of the Kennedy memorial coinage. Collectors should verify WDDO-013 attribution by confirming the specific spread pattern against published diagnostic photographs.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1964 50¢ Pr WDDO-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References