1970-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Available only in Mint Sets and never released for general circulation, the 1970-D Kennedy half dollar DDR-001 is a doubled die reverse cataloged as UVC-154 DMR-003. The reverse exhibits light to medium spread on the stars and letters of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA increasing clockwise, a directional progression that traces the rotational component of the hub displacement. Struck in the 40% silver composition, the restricted distribution of the 1970-D adds a layer of conditional scarcity to all die varieties from this issue. Three die stages have been documented. Stage A, the early die state, shows rust pits through AM and the last A of AMERICA along with a die gouge between the upper and middle horizontal bars of the E of STATES, while the obverse is at late die state. Stage B and Stage C remain unconfirmed. The reverse is designated RDV-002, identified by its Flared G style. The mismatched die states between the early reverse and late obverse in Stage A suggest this reverse die was paired with an already-worn obverse, a common Mint practice of matching new dies with partially used partners to maximize production efficiency.

Die Markers

• UVC-154
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Rust pits through AM and last A of AMERICA – EDS
• Die gouge between the upper and middle horizontal bars of E of STATES
• Obverse is LDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jim Barlow
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References