1960 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-014

Description

A spread toward the center on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date — with the doubling intensity increasing progressively from left to right across the obverse — characterizes this fourteenth Wexler-cataloged doubled die obverse for the 1960 Franklin Half Dollar proof. The graduated left-to-right intensity pattern is characteristic of a rotational hub doubling where the pivot point was located at the left side of the design, causing minimal displacement on the left and maximum displacement on the right. John R. Sinnock's obverse portrait of Benjamin Franklin, introduced in 1948, features a bold left-facing profile that registers hub doubling most visibly in the inscriptions and design elements along the right side of the coin where the rotational displacement is greatest. Die markers include a small obverse die dot above the right side of the D in GOD, and a reverse die gouge north of the R in DOLLAR. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1960 50-cent Proof WDDO-014 with no other known listings, this proof variety was documented by the Wexler Team. The 1960 was the penultimate year of the Franklin Half Dollar series, with only 1963 remaining before the Kennedy Half Dollar replaced it in 1964. Franklin Half proof doubled dies are actively collected by specialists who value the series' relatively short 1948-1963 run and the detailed portrait that showcases hub doubling effectively.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1960 50¢ Pr WDDO-014
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References