1971-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-009

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-254 and DMR-032, this proof-only 1971-S Kennedy Half Dollar carries a doubled die reverse with medium spread visible on the heraldic eagle's feathers, the lower shafts of the arrows, and the inscriptions HALF DOLLAR and the stars flanking those letters, along with lighter spread on OF AMERICA and the designer's initials. The obverse die is identified as ODV-002, pairing this specific reverse with a known obverse die variety. Three die stages have been documented: Stage A represents early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B shows both the reverse and obverse at mid-die state, and Stage C captures late die state (also unconfirmed). The San Francisco Mint struck proof Kennedy Half Dollars exclusively from 1968 onward after proof production transferred from Philadelphia, and the 1971-S proof issue was part of the standard proof set offered to collectors. Doubled die varieties in proof coinage are particularly noteworthy because proof dies receive extra preparation and polishing, meaning hubbing errors that survive into the finished die represent instances where quality control did not catch the misalignment. The medium spread on the eagle's feathers provides a strong diagnostic area for attribution under magnification, while the lighter spread on the peripheral legends offers secondary confirmation points.

Die Markers

• UVC-254
• DMR-032
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References