1956 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-003
Error
Description
Third in the reverse doubled die census for the 1956 Franklin half dollar, DDR-003 shows light spread on UNITED and E PLURIBUS UNUM with very light spread on STATES — a graduated intensity pattern suggesting the hub displacement was oriented to affect the upper reverse inscriptions more strongly than the lower ones. John R. Sinnock's Franklin half dollar design features the Liberty Bell as the central reverse element, and VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-096 and DMR-010 to this variety. Three die stages are documented: Stage A, distinguished by a large upside-down U-shaped die scratch on the left central bell hanger with both obverse and reverse at early die state; Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed); and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The inverted U die scratch on the bell hanger provides an exceptionally distinctive stage marker — its unusual shape makes it immediately identifiable under magnification and serves as the primary confirmation diagnostic for specimens in Stage A condition. The additional notation identifies this die as utilizing Reverse Design Variant RDV-002, distinguishing it from the RDV-001 reverse used on other 1956 Franklin half dollar varieties and providing an independent classification layer. Philadelphia struck approximately 4.03 million Franklin halves in 1956, a production level that reflects the series' declining mintages during the mid-1950s as half dollars saw reduced commercial demand. The graduated spread pattern — light on UNITED and E PLURIBUS UNUM, very light on STATES — indicates the hub displacement diminished across the die face, producing a wedge-shaped doubling field rather than uniform spread across all elements.
Die Markers
- UVC-096
- DMR-010
- Stage A:
- Large upside down U die scratch on Left central bell hanger – EDS
- Obverse is EDS
- Stage B:
- MDS (unconfirmed)
- Stage C:
- LDS (unconfirmed)
Attribution History
- Discovered by Hugh T. Campbell
- Expert attribution by VarietyVista
External References
Additional Notes
Reverse is RDV-002.
Community & Reference
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