1969-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

VarietyVista catalogs DDR-004 on the 1969-D Kennedy half dollar with UVC-355 and DMR-008, documenting a remarkably broad-reaching doubled die reverse with light spread across UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HALF DOLLAR, all the stars in the circle, stars between the rays, the designer's initials, and the arrow feathers of the heraldic eagle. Few doubled die varieties affect this many distinct design elements simultaneously — the spread reaching from lettering through stars to fine feather details indicates a hub displacement that touched virtually the entire reverse die face. Three die stages are tracked: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid-die state with a small die gouge visible between the lower OL of DOLLAR and the obverse also at mid-die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The die pair is identified as RDV-003/ODV-002b (No MDO — no master die obverse doubling), and specimens can be found in Mint Sets, providing a distribution pathway for collector-grade examples. The 1969-D was one of the final 40% silver-clad Kennedy half dollars, as the composition changed to copper-nickel clad beginning in 1971. Denver produced over 129 million half dollars in 1969, and the availability in Mint Sets means that carefully preserved examples with full luster exist for collectors who want high-grade specimens for attribution study.

Die Markers

• UVC-355
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Small die gouge between lower OL of DOLLAR – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References