1950 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-008

Description

Eighth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1950 Franklin half dollar, DDO-008 exhibits strong spread on both the date and LIBERTY — two of the most visually prominent elements on John R. Sinnock's obverse design featuring Benjamin Franklin's portrait. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-288 and DMR-012, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where a long die scratch crosses the upper hair region at mid die state with the reverse also at MDS, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The long die scratch across upper hair at Stage B provides an excellent secondary diagnostic that distinguishes this die from other 1950 Franklin DDOs. This variety carries the significant cross-reference FS-101, identifying it in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties — the standard reference that alerts mainstream collectors to die varieties worth examining in circulation finds and dealer stock. The FS-101 designation elevates DDO-008's visibility beyond the specialist variety community into broader numismatic awareness. Philadelphia struck approximately 7.74 million Franklin half dollars in 1950, a relatively low mintage for the series that ran from 1948 through 1963. The comments also note RDV-001b, indicating a specific reverse design variant, providing additional classification data for this die marriage. Strong spread on the date and LIBERTY places this variety at the upper tier of doubling magnitude, where the hub displacement produces clearly visible secondary impressions that can be detected under moderate magnification without the careful lighting adjustments required for light-spread varieties. Sinnock's Franklin portrait, with its detailed rendering of spectacles, coat collar, and flowing hair, provides a richly detailed surface where hub doubling manifests across multiple textural zones.

Die Markers

• UVC-288
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Long die scratch across upper hair – MDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Fivaz
• FS-101
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References