1971-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-020

Description

A proof variety from the San Francisco Mint, the 1971-S Kennedy Half Dollar DDO-020 exhibits a light spread on WE TRUST, the date, and the letters ERTY of LIBERTY — the doubling confined to specific portions of the obverse legend rather than spanning the full text. Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-564 with die marriage reference DMR-033, the obverse die is classified as ODV-002, connecting it to a specific hub variant lineage within the 1971 Kennedy Half Dollar series. Three die states track the die's working life: Stage A at early die state features a small die gouge on the upper T of LIBERTY as a stage-specific diagnostic with the reverse also in early state, Stage B shows both sides at mid-die state, and Stage C in late die state remains unconfirmed. The die gouge on the upper T of LIBERTY serves dual purpose — both as a die marker for variety identification and as a stage indicator confirming early die state. The 1971-S Proof Kennedy Half Dollar marks the first year of copper-nickel clad composition in proof half dollar production, following the end of 40% silver content after 1970. The high die marriage number — DMR-033 — indicates this was the thirty-third documented die pairing for the date, reflecting the extensive variety population cataloged on proof Kennedy Half Dollars from the early clad era.

Die Markers

• UVC-564
• DMR-033
• Stage A:
• Small die gouge on upper T of LIBERTY – EDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References