1976 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Bicentennial coinage from 1976 carries a unique place in American numismatics, and WDDO-001 on the Kennedy Half Dollar represents the first cataloged doubled die obverse for this nationally commemorated date. The Wexler Team attributed this variety under ID 1976 50¢ WDDO-001, documenting hub misalignment that created visible doubling on the obverse design elements of Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy portrait. The 1976 Bicentennial Half Dollar paired the standard Kennedy obverse with Seth Huntington's Independence Hall reverse and bore dual dates "1776-1976" rather than the single year — a design change mandated by Public Law 93-127 that also affected the quarter and dollar denominations. Philadelphia produced 234,308,000 clad Bicentennial Half Dollars for circulation alongside 7,059,099 silver-clad collector versions, creating a substantial population across which variety hunters could search. As the first-listed DDO for this date, WDDO-001 holds catalog priority within what would eventually become a documented population of doubled die obverses for the 1976 Kennedy Half. The dual-date format "1776-1976" provides additional diagnostic surfaces where doubling may manifest, as the extended date inscription creates more reference points for detecting hub displacement than a standard four-digit date. Collectors examining Bicentennial halves should focus on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date numerals, where the lettering's serif edges and numeral outlines make secondary impressions most detectable under moderate magnification.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1976 50¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References