2014P-50DEO-002T Trail Die Obverse

Description

A trail die obverse variety on the 2014 Philadelphia Mint Kennedy Half Dollar, 50DEO-002T was discovered by Phil Hammond. Die markers at Stage B document mid-die state on both sides: the obverse carries a small die gouge to the lower right of the I in LIBERTY, and the reverse shows a die scratch connecting two stars positioned over the letter H in HALF. Trail die varieties on the Kennedy Half Dollar are less commonly cataloged than on cents due to the denomination's lower circulation production volumes and the smaller number of die pairs placed into service, making each documented variety noteworthy. Gilroy Roberts designed the obverse portrait of President Kennedy, while Frank Gasparro created the heraldic eagle reverse — both artists' work debuted on the denomination in 1964 following the assassination. The post-1971 clad composition replaced the 40% silver alloy used from 1965 through 1970. Trail Dies attribution. The Kennedy Half Dollar's large planchet surface area can make trail die displacement more subtle relative to the overall design size, requiring careful examination under magnification.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – a small die gouge is seen to the lower right of the I in LIBERTY.
• Reverse is MDS – a die scratch connects the two stars over the letter H in HALF.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Phil Hammond
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References