1968-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Very light triple spread appears on WE TRUST with doubled spread visible on the L and Y of LIBERTY on this 1968-S proof Kennedy Half Dollar, cataloged by VarietyVista as DDO-003 with die markers UVC-138 and DMR-005. The triple spread is particularly unusual — it indicates three distinct hub impressions are discernible on the WE TRUST inscription, suggesting the die received at least three hubbing impressions with slight misalignment between each. This is a proof issue using Reverse Design Variant RDV-002, specifically the Flared G sub-variant. Die stage documentation tracks three stages: Stage A shows the obverse in EDS with the reverse listed as DDR-006 in EDS and weak lettering on UNIT of UNITED, Stage B presents both obverse and reverse in Mid Die State, and Stage C remains unconfirmed. The pairing with reverse DDR-006 creates a "combo" variety — the same combination documented from the reverse perspective in DDR-006's catalog entry, confirming that both dies in this pairing carry hub doubling. The 1968-S proof Kennedy Half Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 40% silver composition, with a proof mintage of approximately 3.04 million pieces. Gilroy Roberts' portrait of President Kennedy, first introduced in 1964 following the assassination, was in its fifth year of production. The triple spread on WE TRUST — three distinguishable image layers — makes DDO-003 one of the more diagnostically complex doubled dies in the Kennedy Half Dollar series.

Die Markers

• UVC-138
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-006 – EDS
• Weak lettering on UNIT of UNITED
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References