1971-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Positioned second in the obverse doubled die census for the 1971-D Kennedy half dollar, DDO-002 exhibits medium spread on WE TRUST (from the motto IN GOD WE TRUST), the Y of LIBERTY, and the final digit 1 of the date. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-171 and DMR-004, tracking three die stages with notable complexity: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where the obverse has progressed to mid die state and the reverse is cross-listed as DDR-001 also at mid die state, and Stage C where both surfaces have reached late die state. The dual-variety die pairing is particularly significant — the same working die pair carries both an obverse doubled die (DDO-002) and a reverse doubled die (DDR-001), meaning specimens from this die marriage exhibit hub doubling on both sides of the coin simultaneously. The comments further note Obverse Design Variant ODV-003, identifying the specific obverse hub configuration employed for this die. Denver struck approximately 302.1 million Kennedy half dollars in 1971, the first year of copper-nickel clad business strike halves following the termination of the 40% silver composition for circulation coinage. Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy portrait provides the WE TRUST inscription along the lower right where medium spread produces clearly thickened letter strokes, while the Y of LIBERTY along the left side and the trailing 1 of the date in the lower field offer additional confirmation points. The convergence of DDO-002 and DDR-001 on a single die pair makes this variety especially attractive to collectors who value doubled die marriages affecting both coin faces, a relatively uncommon occurrence that elevates this pairing above typical single-side doubled dies.

Die Markers

• UVC-171
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-001 – MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Randy True
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References