1970-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Fourth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1970-S Kennedy half dollar, DDR-004 exhibits light spread on the stars within the circle, the letters of DOLLAR and AMERICA, the arrows in the eagle's talons, and the designer's initials (FG for Frank Gasparro) on the reverse of the final year of 40% silver-clad Kennedy half dollar production. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-606 and DMR-012, documenting three die stages: Stage A where both reverse and obverse surfaces exhibit early die state characteristics, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The comments provide two important attributions: "Proof" identifies this as a San Francisco proof striking, and "RDV-003" establishes the Reverse Design Variant classification for the die. The 1970-S Kennedy half dollar holds special significance as the last date struck in the 40% silver-clad composition — after 1970, proof Kennedy halves transitioned to copper-nickel clad, and only occasional special silver proof issues would follow in later decades. San Francisco's 1970-S proof production employed polished dies on specially prepared planchets, creating mirror fields that enhance the visibility of even light spread on stars and lettering. The distribution of affected elements — stars, DOLLAR, AMERICA, arrows, and designer's initials — spans from the central eagle design out to the peripheral lettering, indicating a hub misalignment that displaced the secondary impression across a broad zone of the reverse. Light spread classification means collectors will need careful examination under magnification, with the proof surface contrast aiding detection on these high-quality strikings.

Die Markers

• UVC-606
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• Reverse and and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Umbarger
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References