1972-S Variety WSDO-001

Description

Unlike a standard doubled die that affects a single working die, WSDO-001 for the 1972-S proof Kennedy half dollar is a secondary die obverse variety, meaning the doubling originated on a working hub rather than a working die, causing it to propagate across multiple working dies and therefore across a significantly larger portion of the total mintage. The Wexler Team cataloged this as 1972-S 50¢ Pr WSDO-001, with CONECA cross-referencing it as SD-1-O-II+V, indicating a combination of Class II and Class V hub doubling mechanisms. A light counterclockwise spread from a pivot at approximately eleven o'clock affects IGWT (IN GOD WE TRUST) and LIBERTY, the two most prominent text elements on the obverse. Because this doubling exists on multiple working dies, the die markers "will vary among the different working dies that were affected" -- a notation that distinguishes SDO varieties from standard DDO listings where specific die markers identify a single die. Historical context adds further interest: the affected working hub was placed in use partway through 1971 and remained in service through all of 1972, and coins exhibiting WSDO-001 can be found from all three mints (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco). San Francisco produced 3,260,996 proof sets in 1972, but the total population of WSDO-001 coins extends well beyond proof production to include business strikes from Philadelphia and Denver. This cross-mint presence is the hallmark of a working hub variety and makes WSDO-001 one of the most widely distributed doubled die events in the Kennedy half dollar series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: CONECA: SD-1-O-II+V Comments: Placed in use partway through 1971 and remained in use through all of 1972. It can be found on coins of all three mints.
• CONECA: SD-1-O-II+V Comments: Placed in use partway through 1971 and remained in use through all of 1972. It can be found on coins of all three mints.; Wexler Variety ID: 1972-S 50¢ Pr WSDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References