1964 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-025

Description

Twenty-fifth in the extensive obverse doubled die census for the 1964 Kennedy half dollar, DDO-025 shows light spread on WE TRUST, the date, TY of LIBERTY, the hair beneath the R of LIBERTY, the profile, and the eye — a broad distribution of doubling across multiple design elements on Gilroy Roberts's portrait. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-337 and DMR-040, tracking three die stages: Stage A where both obverse and reverse surfaces exhibit early die state, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The comments note this is a proof striking with the ODV-002/RDV-002 (Flared G) die combination — the "Flared G" refers to a distinctive rendering of the letter G in the reverse inscription that helps identify the specific reverse design variant paired with this obverse. Philadelphia produced approximately 3.95 million proof Kennedy half dollars in 1964, the first year of the series issued just months after President Kennedy's assassination, and proof production employed specially polished dies and selected planchets that create mirror-like fields. On proof coins, the polished die surfaces make doubled die detection simultaneously easier (because the sharp strike preserves fine doubling detail) and more challenging (because the brilliant finish can create optical effects that mimic doubling). The light spread classification indicates the doubling is subtle and requires careful examination under 15-20x magnification. Collectors should focus initially on the WE TRUST area and the date digits, where the light doubling produces slightly thickened letter and numeral contours, then examine the hair detail beneath the R of LIBERTY and the eye area where even minimal displacement against the finely detailed portrait features becomes apparent.

Die Markers

• UVC-337
• DMR-040
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Gary B. Shaffstall
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References