1964 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Listed as FS-101 in the Cherry Pickers' Guide, the 1964 Kennedy half dollar DDO-002 is among the most celebrated doubled die varieties in the modern U.S. series. Strong spread appears on WE TRUST, RTY of LIBERTY, and the upper hair detail, with lighter but still visible doubling on LIBE of LIBERTY, IN GOD, and the date. VarietyVista tracked this proof die pair as UVC-007 with DMR-007, noting a three-stage progression: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B with both obverse and reverse at mid-die-state, and Stage C with both sides reaching late die state. The die marriage is documented as ODV-002/RDV-002, with the reverse identified as the Flared G variety. The FS-101 (13.2) cross-reference cements this variety's status in the standard attribution guides. As a proof issue, this die was used at the Philadelphia Mint during the massive 1964 proof production run of 3,950,762 sets. The 1964 Kennedy half dollar itself carries immense historical and emotional significance, having been rushed into production following President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Gilroy Roberts designed the obverse portrait, and the combination of the coin's historical gravity with the FS-101 doubled die designation makes this one of the most actively sought proof varieties of the entire 20th century. Authentication is essential for high-grade examples, and collectors should seek specimens where the strong spread on WE TRUST is immediately apparent under low magnification. The Flared G reverse designation refers to the distinctive serif treatment on the G in the reverse legend.

Die Markers

• UVC-007
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• FS-101
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References