1942-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1942-S 50-cent WDDO-003, this Walking Liberty Half Dollar displays a close Class II spread toward the center showing as notching on the lower letters of IN GOD WE TRUST, the left folds of the gown, and the ground at the right foot — a convergent doubling pattern where the secondary hub impression shifted inward, pushing doubled image elements toward the coin's center. The Class II (Distorted Hub Doubling) classification indicates the displacement resulted from hub distortion rather than a simple lateral shift, creating a complex notching pattern where the doubled image appears as step-like indentations along the letter edges. Obverse die markers include a die scratch running SW from the top of the 1 to the center of the upper loop of the 9 in the date, an east-by-north die scratch from the upper area of the 4 to the 2, and a die scratch SW from the lower left side of the O in GOD to the top of the R in TRUST. The reverse shows a light die scratch running E/W inside the D of DOLLAR below center. No external cross-references are currently known. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1942, composed of 90% silver at 12.50 grams with a diameter of 30.6 mm. Weinman's flowing design featuring Liberty striding toward the sunrise with an American flag draped over her shoulder is widely considered one of the most beautiful in American coinage, and the gown fold doubling on this variety affects the design's most artistically celebrated element.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1942-S 50¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References