1956 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-012

Description

Twelfth reverse doubled die in the census for the 1956 Franklin half dollar, DDR-012 shows light spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, HALF DOLLAR, and the eagle on John R. Sinnock's reverse design. VarietyVista cataloged this die under UVC-277 and DMR-026, with three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C featuring diagnostic die gouges — one on the upper right bell hanger and another on the lower left bell lines — at late die state, with the obverse also at LDS. The Stage C die gouges provide valuable late-die-state markers that confirm the variety when the die has worn enough to potentially diminish the subtler light spread characteristics. The comment notation specifies this reverse as RDV-001, identifying the master die lineage and distinguishing it from DDR-010's RDV-002 reverse design variant within the same 1956 census. Philadelphia struck approximately 4.03 million Franklin half dollars in 1956, and the existence of at least twelve documented DDRs for this date speaks to the thorough examination the Franklin half dollar series has received from variety researchers. Light spread across three major reverse elements — the motto, denomination, and eagle device — indicates a broad but low-magnitude hub displacement that affected multiple inscription zones simultaneously. The Franklin half dollar's reverse features the Liberty Bell as its central element with the small eagle (required by law for half dollars) positioned to the right, and the eagle's feather detail provides textured surfaces where light doubling manifests as thickened or slightly offset feather contours. Collectors should examine the LDS die gouge markers first — the upper right bell hanger and lower left bell lines — to confirm the die, then inspect E PLURIBUS UNUM under 15-20x magnification for the light spread.

Die Markers

• UVC-277
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Die gouge on upper Right bell hanger – LDS
• Die gouge on lower Left bell lines
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tony Russo
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References