1971 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista, the 1971 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001 on the Kennedy Half Dollar exhibits strong spread on WE TRUST, the BERTY of LIBERTY, and the 971 digits of the date. The Kennedy Half Dollar, designed by Gilroy Roberts (obverse) and Frank Gasparro (reverse), was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in cupronickel-clad copper at 11.34 grams and 30.6 mm diameter beginning in 1971 after the 40% silver composition was discontinued. Die markers from VarietyVista are UVC-167 and DMR-003, with three documented die states: Stage A shows the obverse in Early Die State with a die gouge extending from the tail under the eagle's right leg on the reverse also at EDS, Stage B shows both obverse and reverse at Mid Die State, and Stage C shows both at Late Die State. The strong spread affecting WE TRUST, partial LIBERTY, and three of four date digits indicates substantial hub displacement during die preparation. The 1971 was the first year of the cupronickel-clad half dollar composition for circulation strikes, as the 40% silver version had been limited to collector sets in 1970. Variety collectors consider the DDO-001 designation significant as the first cataloged doubled die obverse for this date, and the strong spread across multiple design elements makes it one of the more visually appealing early clad Kennedy varieties.

Die Markers

• UVC-167
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Die gouge from tail under eagle's Right leg – EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Geoffrey Fults
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References