1971-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-018

Description

A proof-only variety from the San Francisco Mint, the 1971-S Kennedy Half Dollar DDO-018 displays medium spread on WE TRUST and TY of LIBERTY. Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-534 with die marriage DMR-028, the earliest die state features a die gouge on the trunk of Kennedy's bust north of the W in WE, with both obverse and reverse in early die state. Later MDS and LDS stages remain unconfirmed. Struck from obverse die variant ODV-002, this variety represents one of the more prominent doubled die obverse entries among proof Kennedy Half Dollars. The 1971-S proof set had a mintage of 3,220,733, but only coins struck from this specific die pair carry the DDO-018 designation. Medium-strength doubling on WE TRUST provides a convenient diagnostic for quick identification, as the motto's position near the rim means it receives strong impression during the proof striking process, making any doubling relatively straightforward to detect under magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-534
• DMR-028
• Stage A:
• Die gouge on truck of bust North of W of WE – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References