1957 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Presenting a combination of two distinct doubling manifestations, DDO-001 on the 1957 Philadelphia Franklin Half Dollar exhibits light spread accompanied by medium extra thickness on LIBERTY and TRUST — the final word of IN GOD WE TRUST. James Wiles reported this variety. The coexistence of spread and extra thickness indicates the hub re-impression was positioned at a transitional distance from the primary: close enough to broaden the letter strokes (extra thickness) in some areas yet sufficiently displaced to produce partially separated secondary images (spread) in others. This transitional doubling often presents differently on individual letters depending on their orientation relative to the displacement direction — vertical strokes may show clear spread while horizontal elements exhibit thickening. John R. Sinnock's Franklin Half Dollar obverse places LIBERTY in an arc above Benjamin Franklin's portrait and TRUST at the lower portion of the motto below the chin. As DDO-001, this variety holds the primary catalog position for the 1957 date, and its combination of spread and thickness classifications makes it diagnostically distinctive. The 1957 half dollar was struck in 90% silver at 12.5 grams, with six years remaining before the series ended in 1963.

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