1967 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-005

Description

Fifth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1967 Kennedy half dollar, DDO-005 presents medium spread across a broad swath of Gilroy Roberts' portrait: IN GOD WE TRUST, the date, LIBERTY, the hair detail, and the earlobe all show visible doubling, while an additional characteristic notes that the first hubbing did not penetrate fully to the rim. This incomplete first hubbing is a significant diagnostic — it indicates the initial hub impression was shallow or misaligned enough that the design faded before reaching the die's peripheral edge, and the subsequent hubbing corrected the depth but with measurable displacement from the first pass, producing the medium spread visible across multiple design elements. Kennedy half dollars of the 1965-1970 era were struck in 40% silver-clad composition, and no mintmarks appeared on 1967-dated coins during the Mint's temporary suspension. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-112 and DMR-007, documenting three die stages: Stage A where both obverse and reverse surfaces exhibit early die state characteristics, Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The "BS" notation in the comments references an internal VarietyVista classification code. The breadth of affected design elements — spanning inscriptions on both sides of the portrait, the date below, and the sculptural detail of the hair and ear — demonstrates a wholesale hub misalignment rather than a localized distortion. Medium spread on the earlobe is particularly diagnostic, as the ear's helical curves and lobe contour provide high-relief surfaces where even moderate displacement creates clearly visible secondary impressions under 10-15x magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-112
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Baumann
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References