1966 SMS Kennedy Half Dollar - Doubled Die Obverse DDO-036

Description

Hub doubling appearing as light spread on JFK's chin, medium spread on the ear and hair at the back of the head, and light counterclockwise spread on the TY of LIBERTY characterizes this thirty-sixth doubled die obverse for the 1966 Kennedy Half Dollar, a Special Mint Set (SMS) issue cataloged by VarietyVista. The comment "SMS" confirms this specimen originated from the 1966 Special Mint Set — the special collector product the U.S. Mint offered from 1965 through 1967 in lieu of traditional proof sets during the mid-1960s coin shortage. SMS coins were struck with higher-than-normal quality but without the multiple-strike mirror finish of true proofs, placing them in a unique production category. The graduated intensity of doubling — light on the chin, medium on the ear and hair, light on LIBERTY — is characteristic of hub doubling where different areas of the design sit at varying distances from the pivot point of the misalignment. Die stage documentation records UVC-458, DMR-043, with Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B showing two long parallel north-south die scratches west of IN at mid die state with the reverse also at MDS, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The 1966 Kennedy Half was struck in 40% silver clad composition, part of the transitional period between the 90% silver 1964 issue and the copper-nickel clad composition adopted in 1971. Thirty-six documented obverse doubled dies from a single year reflects the intense study these silver clad SMS issues receive.

Die Markers

• UVC-458
• DMR-043
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Two long parallel North-South die scratches West of IN – MDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References