1968-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-008

Description

Denver's 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar production provides the host for WDDR-008, the eighth cataloged doubled die reverse for this date-mintmark combination within the silver-clad composition era (1965-1970). Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy obverse, paired with Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse, had been in production for only four years when this die was manufactured, yet the 1968-D date already shows a substantial catalog of DDR varieties. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1968-D 50¢ WDDR-008, this variety emerged from the Wexler Team's systematic examination of Kennedy Half Dollar dies. Denver struck 246,951,930 Half Dollars in 1968, a massive output driven by the denomination's dual role as both a circulating coin and a collector favorite in the years following President Kennedy's assassination. The silver-clad composition — 40% silver outer layers bonded to a copper core — made these coins intrinsically valuable above face value even at 1968 silver prices, contributing to significant hoarding that reduced circulating populations. Hub doubling on the heraldic eagle reverse manifests on elements including the eagle's wing feathers, shield, arrows, olive branch, and the E PLURIBUS UNUM ribbon — complex design features that provide multiple diagnostic surfaces for identifying misalignment between hubbing impressions during die manufacture.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1968-D 50¢ WDDR-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References