1968-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Third in the sequence of doubled die reverses cataloged for the 1968 Denver Kennedy Half Dollar, WDDR-003 adds to the silver-clad era's rich variety catalog for this denomination. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1968-D 50¢ WDDR-003, this attribution reflects the Wexler Team's comprehensive examination of Kennedy Half Dollar dies from the 40% silver period that spanned 1965 through 1970. Denver's 1968 production of 246,951,930 Half Dollars required a substantial number of working dies, each manufactured through multiple hub impressions that created opportunities for the alignment errors that produce doubled die varieties. The silver-clad composition — an 80% silver outer layer bonded to a 20.9% silver inner layer — was Congress's compromise solution to the mid-1960s silver crisis, reducing the silver content from 90% while maintaining the coin's traditional appearance. Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse, introduced alongside Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy portrait in 1964, features the presidential coat of arms with a spread eagle, shield, arrows, olive branch, and ribbon banner — intricate elements that register hub displacement with particular clarity at the feather tips and letter serifs. The 1968-D date occupies a notable position in Kennedy Half Dollar collecting as one of the later silver-clad issues, with only 1969 and 1970 following before the full transition to copper-nickel clad composition.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1968-D 50¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References