1963 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-020

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-228 and DMR-033, this 1963 Franklin Half Dollar carries a doubled die obverse with medium spread visible on LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the digits 63 of the date. Three die stages document the die's working life: Stage A 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 1963 Franklin Half Dollar occupies a poignant position in American numismatic history — it was the final year of John R. Sinnock's Benjamin Franklin design, which was abruptly replaced by Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy Half Dollar following President Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. Philadelphia struck approximately 22.2 million business strike Franklin halves that year, the second-highest Philadelphia mintage in the series, ensuring ample material for variety researchers to examine. Twenty documented doubled die obverses for the 1963 Franklin is a substantial count, particularly for a series that ran only sixteen years (1948-1963). Medium spread across LIBERTY, the motto, and the date indicates a hub misalignment that affected both the upper and lower portions of the obverse die face, creating multiple diagnostic zones where the variety can be confirmed. The high catalog number reflects the dedicated research that Franklin Half Dollar specialists have conducted on this terminal year of the series.

Die Markers

• UVC-228
• DMR-033
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References