1971-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Second in the obverse doubled die census for the 1971-S Kennedy half dollar, DDO-002 exhibits light spread on TRUST, the last digit 1 of the date, and the Y of LIBERTY on Gilroy Roberts's portrait of President Kennedy. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-182 and DMR-004, tracking three die stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces have reached mid die state (MDS), and Stage C at LDS (unconfirmed). The confirmed MDS for Stage B provides a useful reference point for collectors attempting to determine the die state of their specimen. This variety is identified as a proof striking — San Francisco served as the exclusive proof production facility beginning in 1968, and proof Kennedy halves were included in annual proof sets throughout the 1970s. The comments note Obverse Design Variant ODV-002, indicating a specific master die lineage that distinguishes this die from others used for 1971-S proof production. The light spread across TRUST, the final 1 in the date, and the Y of LIBERTY suggests a modest hub misalignment that affected multiple inscription areas simultaneously, pointing to a broad angular displacement rather than localized distortion. Roberts's Kennedy portrait occupies a large portion of the obverse field, and the inscriptions surrounding it provide numerous diagnostic surfaces for detecting hub doubling. Proof specimens feature mirror-like fields and frosted devices that can sometimes mimic or mask subtle doubling, so collectors should use 15-20x magnification with diffused lighting that minimizes reflections when searching for the displaced secondary impressions on the affected elements.

Die Markers

• UVC-182
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References