1967 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-014

Description

Fourteenth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1967 Kennedy half dollar, DDO-014 presents medium spread on the letters BER of LIBERTY and the hair detail directly beneath the R, providing diagnostics on both inscription and portrait elements of Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy obverse design. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-351 and DMR-025, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where the obverse has reached mid die state with an additional observation of light Class II doubling appearing on the R of AMERICA on the reverse at MDS, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The Stage B notation is significant — it documents a secondary doubled die event on the reverse R of AMERICA that developed as the die progressed through mid-life, providing a dual-surface diagnostic for specimens in the MDS range. The comments note "BS" — indicating this is a Business Strike variety from regular production rather than a Special Mint Set issue, an important distinction for the 1965-1967 period when the Mint produced both business strikes and SMS coins with different surface characteristics. The Kennedy half dollar series transitioned from 90% silver to 40% silver-clad composition in 1965, and the 1967 issue represents the third year of the silver-clad era, struck without mintmarks as Congress mandated during this period to discourage hoarding. The medium spread on BER and the underlying hair provides a clearly defined diagnostic zone where the displaced secondary hub impression affects three consecutive letters and the adjacent portrait detail, all verifiable under 10-15x magnification. Collectors should examine BER in LIBERTY and the hair beneath R for the medium spread, and check the reverse R of AMERICA for additional light Class II doubling on MDS specimens.

Die Markers

• UVC-351
• DMR-025
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Light class II doubling on R of AMERICA – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Williams
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References