1964 Proof Kennedy Half Dollar - Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

First doubled die reverse ever cataloged for the Kennedy Half Dollar proof series, WDDR-001 holds a singular position in the attribution record of a coin born from national tragedy. The Kennedy Half Dollar debuted in 1964 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination on November 22, 1963 — Gilroy Roberts designed the obverse portrait while Frank Gasparro created the heraldic eagle reverse. The 1964 proof was struck at Philadelphia in 90% silver, and its mirror-finish surfaces provide ideal conditions for detecting the hub displacement that defines this variety. As the inaugural DDR entry, WDDR-001 established the starting point for what would become an extensive census of Kennedy Half proof reverse varieties spanning more than six decades of continuous production. The significance of the -001 designation cannot be overstated for variety specialists: it marks the first confirmed instance of reverse hub doubling on a proof Kennedy die, opening the catalog that subsequent researchers would populate with dozens of additional varieties. Attributed by the Wexler Team and cataloged as Wexler Variety ID 1964 50c Pr WDDR-001.

Cross References

• Wexler Variety ID: 1964 50¢ Pr WDDR-001

External References