1964-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Holding the primary DDR designation for the inaugural 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar, DDR-001 exhibits medium spread on stars positioned under STATES OF and stars between the heraldic eagle's rays, with lighter spread on stars behind the eagle's head. The VarietyVista system classifies this variety with UVC-335 and DMR-025, tracking three die states: Stage A and Stage B remain unconfirmed at EDS and MDS respectively, while Stage C documents a minor split serif repunched mintmark at LDS with the obverse also in late die state. The comments note the die marriage as ODV-002/RDV-002 with a Flared G designation — the "Flared G" refers to a distinctive style of the letter G in the reverse inscription that serves as a reverse die variety marker within the Kennedy Half series. The 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar was struck at the Denver Mint in 90% silver composition during the emotionally charged first year of the series, rushed into production following President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Public demand was so intense that the Mint produced over 156 million 1964-D halves, and widespread hoarding meant most were pulled from circulation immediately. As DDR-001, this variety represents the most significant doubled die reverse documented for the 1964-D — a date where the star elements on Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse proved particularly susceptible to recording hub misalignment during die preparation. The medium spread on the stars is visible under moderate magnification and provides multiple independent diagnostic points for attribution across different areas of the reverse design.

Die Markers

• UVC-335
• DMR-025
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Minor split serif RPM – LDS
• Obverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References