1971-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-005

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as DDR-005 for the 1971-D Kennedy Half Dollar, this variety displays strong extra thickness on an unusually comprehensive set of reverse elements: HALF DOLLAR, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, all stars in the circle, the arrows, the FG designer's initials for Frank Gasparro, the clouds, and the stars between the rays of the heraldic eagle reverse. This breadth of affected elements — covering inscriptions, decorative features, and design details across the entire reverse face — indicates substantial hub displacement that influenced virtually the entire die surface. The obverse die paired with this reverse is itself a listed variety, cataloged as DDO-011 and ODV-003, making this a dual-variety die marriage where both sides carry independent hub doubling attributions. Die markers UVC-420 and DMR-016 track the die across three stages, with Stage C showing the reverse in LDS with numerous long thin die scratches developing on the obverse at MDS. The 1971-D Kennedy Half Dollar was struck at the Denver Mint in copper-nickel clad composition (outer layers of 75% copper, 25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core) at 11.34 grams on 30.6mm planchets. The 1971 production year represents the first clad-only Kennedy Half Dollar, as the 40% silver composition used from 1965 to 1970 was discontinued.

Die Markers

• UVC-420
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse is LDS
• Numerous long thin die scratches on Obverse – MDS
• Obverse is LISTED as DDO-011

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael Taw
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References