1972-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-002

Description

Cross-referenced under the Wexler system as 1972-S 50-cent Proof WDDR-002 and attributed by the Wexler Team, this proof Kennedy Half Dollar reverse die carries hub-doubling evidence produced during the die-sinking process at the San Francisco Mint. As a proof striking from the 1972-S production run, this coin was manufactured using specially prepared polished dies and planchets, struck multiple times at higher pressure to achieve the characteristic mirror fields and frosted devices that define the proof format — conditions that simultaneously enhance the visibility of any hub doubling present on the die, since the sharper strike and reflective surfaces make secondary impressions easier to detect under magnification than on business-strike surfaces with their comparatively rougher texture. The WDDR-002 designation places this as the second cataloged doubled die reverse for the 1972-S proof Kennedy Half Dollar, indicating that multiple reverse dies used for this date exhibited hub-doubling anomalies — a circumstance that can arise when a single working hub carrying a slight defect is used to sink multiple working dies, propagating the doubling signature across an entire family of dies. Struck in the 40% silver clad composition (80% silver / 20% copper outer layers bonded to a 79% copper / 21% silver core) at 11.5 grams, the 1972-S proof was part of the final years of silver-content proof sets before the Mint transitioned entirely to copper-nickel clad proof half dollars in 1971 for circulation strikes and maintained silver only for special collector issues. Gilroy Roberts' obverse portrait of President John F. Kennedy and Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse carry the doubled elements that define this proof-only variety.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1972-S 50¢ Pr WDDR-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References