1969-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-013

Description

Thirteenth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1969-D Kennedy half dollar silver-clad issue, DDR-013 displays light spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the heraldic stars positioned beneath those letters on Frank Gasparro's reverse design. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under die identifiers UVC-531 and DMR-021, with three documented 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 a verified mid-production data point. Kennedy half dollars struck from 1965 through 1970 used the 40% silver-clad composition — an outer layer of 80% silver bonded to a core containing 21.5% silver — creating the transitional metallurgy era that preceded the full copper-nickel clad format adopted in 1971. Denver struck approximately 129.88 million silver-clad Kennedy half dollars in 1969, a substantial output that generated extensive die inventories. The comment notation provides particularly rich dual classification: the reverse is identified as RDV-002, characterized by a "Flared G" — a specific design element variant in the Gasparro reverse — while the obverse carries ODV-002a with "MDO" (Machine Doubling Obverse), indicating the obverse die shows machine doubling that is distinct from the hub-doubled reverse attribution. This combination of genuine reverse hub doubling and obverse machine doubling on the same die marriage creates a numismatically interesting specimen where both sides exhibit doubling from entirely different mechanisms. Light spread on the reverse inscription and stars requires careful examination under magnification, with the stars providing particularly useful diagnostics since their geometric five-pointed shape amplifies even subtle displacement into recognizable doubled forms.

Die Markers

• UVC-531
• DMR-021
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Clough
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References