1968-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-009

Description

Within the silver clad proof Kennedy half dollar variety catalog, the 1968-S DDR-009 holds the ninth position in the reverse doubled die census, displaying light spread across a broad range of reverse elements: all lettering and stars around the rim, including rays and stars between rays above E PLURIBUS UNUM on Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse design. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-462 and DMR-015, documenting three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both reverse and obverse surfaces have reached mid die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B provides collectors with a documented intermediate die state for this variety. The comments identify this as a proof issue with the reverse classified as RDV-003, indicating a specific Reverse Design Variant that distinguishes this die from other reverse die types used in 1968-S production. Kennedy half dollars struck from 1965 through 1970 employed a 40% silver-clad composition — the final years of silver in the half dollar denomination — and the 1968-S proof issue was struck at San Francisco with polished dies producing mirror fields and frosted devices. The breadth of affected elements — lettering, stars, rays between stars — indicates a wholesale hub displacement that produced detectable doubling across the entire reverse peripheral inscription band, though the light classification means the doubling is subtle and requires careful examination under moderate magnification. Proof surfaces enhance the visibility of light doubling by providing high-contrast mirror backgrounds against which even minor thickening of design elements becomes apparent. Nine documented reverse doubled dies for the 1968-S proof half dollar reflects the intensive variety research that silver-clad Kennedy proof coins have attracted from specialists.

Die Markers

• UVC-462
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ward Miller
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References