1967 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1967 SMS Kennedy Half Dollar DDO-002 exhibits a light spread affecting RTY of LIBERTY, the hair detail beneath the R of LIBERTY, and the motto WE TRUST. The SMS designation is essential context: the Special Mint Set program ran from 1965 through 1967 as a bridge issue during the period when proof production was suspended and clad coinage replaced silver. SMS coins were struck with more care than business strikes but are neither proofs nor standard circulation pieces; their surfaces fall in a distinctive intermediate category with a soft satin or swirled finish. This DDO-002 has been documented across three die stages by VarietyVista—Stage A with an Early Die State (EDS) obverse paired with the DDR-006 reverse at EDS, Stage B with both obverse and reverse at a Middle Die State (MDS), and a Stage C at a Late Die State (LDS) that remains unconfirmed. Multi-stage documentation of this kind traces the lifespan of a die as it degrades, giving researchers a longitudinal view of how the doubling presents across the coin's production run. The paired reverse is listed as DDR-006. VarietyVista catalog references: UVC-109, DMR-004.

Die Markers

• UVC-109
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-006 – EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References