1969-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Fifth reversed doubled die in the census for the 1969-S Kennedy half dollar proof, DDR-005 shows light spread on the letters of and stars under UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-403 and DMR-007, tracking three die stages: Stage A with both reverse and obverse at early die state (confirmed), Stage B where both surfaces are at mid die state (confirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The dual confirmation at both EDS (Stage A) and MDS (Stage B) provides collectors with verified reference points across two die state intervals. The comment notation "Proof. RDV-003/ODV-002a (MDO)" packs critical classification data: this is a proof-only variety struck from Reverse Design Variant RDV-003 paired with Obverse Design Variant ODV-002a, where the MDO designation indicates a Master Die Overdate or Master Die Origin characteristic on the obverse hub. Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse design places a ring of stars beneath UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and additional stars between the eagle's rays, and light spread across both the inscription letters and these star elements indicates the hub displacement affected the upper reverse zone broadly. San Francisco struck proof Kennedy half dollars in 1969 as part of the regular proof set program, using the 40% silver-clad composition that continued through 1970. The RDV-003 reverse variant distinguishes this die from other reverse hub types in the 1969-S proof production, and its pairing with the ODV-002a obverse creates a specific die marriage that narrows the identification parameters. Light spread on the stars requires careful examination because the compact star geometry can make subtle displacement difficult to detect without adequate magnification — 15-20x with fiber-optic illumination directed at the star points is recommended for initial screening.

Die Markers

• UVC-403
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• Reverse and and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse and and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References