1971-S WHO WHO-001

Description

Primary doubled working hub obverse for the 1971-S Proof Silver Eisenhower dollar, WHO-001 records a hub doubling event on the obverse that occurred at the working hub stage of die production. This obverse counterpart to the WHR-001 reverse doubled hub documented for the same date suggests that the 1971-S proof silver Eisenhower dollar production experienced hub doubling issues on both sides of the coin — a notable circumstance that may indicate problems with the hubbing press setup or hub alignment protocols during die preparation for this issue. Frank Gasparro designed the obverse featuring a left-facing portrait of President Dwight D. Eisenhower with LIBERTY along the upper rim, IN GOD WE TRUST at the lower left, and the date 1971 at the lower right. The S mintmark identifies San Francisco production, and the 40% silver composition distinguishes the proof collector edition from the copper-nickel clad circulation strikes. Cross-referenced as CONECA 1-O-I, this variety receives formal recognition from the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America, with the "O" indicating obverse and the "I" indicating the first documented example. The doubled working hub obverse designation means the doubling characteristics established in the working hub would propagate to every working die produced from that hub, potentially creating a significant population of coins carrying the same obverse doubling. The proof mintage of approximately 6.87 million silver Eisenhower dollars provides a defined production universe within which affected specimens exist. Collectors should examine Eisenhower's portrait, LIBERTY, and the date under 15-20x magnification, looking for the thickened or displaced design features consistent with hub-level doubling that would appear identical across all specimens struck from dies produced from the affected working hub.

Attribution History

• CONECA: 1-O-I
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References