1955 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-003

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-253 and DMR-007, DDR-003 on the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar shows light spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the upper bell hanger on John R. Sinnock's reverse design. Three die stages are documented: Stage A (Early Die State) remains unconfirmed; Stage B (Mid Die State) shows the reverse at MDS with several die scratches running East-to-West on Benjamin Franklin's coat on the obverse; Stage C (Late Die State) remains unconfirmed. The light spread on the upper bell hanger — the mechanical bracket from which the Liberty Bell is suspended in Sinnock's design — creates a subtly doubled structural detail that contrasts with the inscription doubling on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, demonstrating that the hub displacement affected both text and pictorial elements of the reverse die. The 1955 Franklin Half Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 12.50 grams with a diameter of 30.6 mm. While the 1955 date is overshadowed in numismatic fame by its contemporary, the legendary 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent, the Franklin Half Dollar series (1948-1963) maintains its own dedicated collector following for doubled die varieties. The East-West die scratches on the coat at Stage B provide a die-state-specific authentication marker that appears only after the die has worn past its earliest condition. Examination should focus on the rim lettering of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the bell hanger hardware under 7x to 10x magnification, using raking light to reveal the light spread against the coin's lustrous silver surface.

Die Markers

• UVC-253
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse is MDS
• Several die scratches East-West on coat – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References