1971-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-007

Description

Seventh in the reverse doubled die census for the 1971-S Kennedy half dollar clad proof, DDR-007 displays medium spread combined with extra thickness across all stars and all letters around the rim of Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse. The comprehensive nature of the doubling — affecting every peripheral design element simultaneously — points to a substantial hub misalignment that displaced the secondary impression uniformly across the entire rim zone, producing a variety where collectors can verify the attribution at virtually any point along the coin's circumference. San Francisco struck proof Kennedy half dollars in 1971 using the standard copper-nickel clad composition that replaced the 40% silver-clad format after 1970. VarietyVista cataloged this die under UVC-535 and DMR-029, with three documented die stages: Stage A where both reverse and obverse surfaces exhibit early die state characteristics, Stage B where both surfaces have progressed to mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B provides a documented mid-life reference point for this die pair. The comments identify this as a proof issue with the obverse designated as ODV-002, adding a second attributable characteristic to the die marriage. Proof striking processes employ polished dies and carefully prepared planchets, producing mirror fields and frosted devices that provide high-contrast surfaces where medium spread and extra thickness become more visually apparent than on business strikes. The simultaneous doubling on all rim stars and letters — including UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HALF DOLLAR, and the thirteen heraldic stars — creates a comprehensive diagnostic pattern that distinguishes DDR-007 from more localized reverse doubled dies in the 1971-S proof census.

Die Markers

• UVC-535
• DMR-029
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References