1971-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-004

Description

Listed in the Wexler files as 1971-S 50¢ Pr WDDO-004, this doubled die obverse variety was struck on a 1971-S proof Kennedy half dollar at the San Francisco Mint. With only four varieties cataloged ahead of it numerically, WDDO-004 represents one of the earlier discoveries among the extensive family of doubled die obverses known for this date. The 1971-S proof half dollar weighs 11.34 grams and measures 30.6 mm in diameter, composed of copper-nickel clad layers bonded to a copper core. San Francisco's proof production in 1971 yielded 3,220,733 sets, establishing a collector base that has spent decades examining these coins for hub doubling. The doubled die obverse phenomenon on Kennedy half dollars results from imperfect alignment between the master hub and the working die during the hubbing process, a multi-step procedure where the design is progressively impressed into the die steel. Gilroy Roberts' detailed portrait of President Kennedy — originally prepared for the 1961 Presidential inaugural medal and adapted for the half dollar in 1964 — contains numerous fine details in the hair, facial features, and truncation that can reveal even subtle hub displacement. The proof striking process, with its multiple impressions on each planchet, enhances the visibility of doubled die characteristics because the resulting sharp, well-defined devices show displacement more clearly than on softer-struck business strike coins where the doubling might be less apparent or mistaken for strike softness.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S 50¢ Pr WDDO-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References