1973-D Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Second in the obverse doubled die census for the 1973-D Kennedy half dollar, DDO-002 shows extra thickness across a broad range of obverse design elements: IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and the date — indicating a hub doubling event that displaced the secondary impression across virtually the entire obverse of Gilroy Roberts's Kennedy portrait. VarietyVista assigned die identifiers UVC-210 and DMR-003, with three documented die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse surfaces show confirmed mid die state characteristics, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The MDS confirmation for Stage B indicates specimens with moderate die wear have been verified. The comments note this variety "can be found in Mint Sets," directing collectors to the 1973 Uncirculated Mint Set as a potential source — Mint Set coins typically exhibit sharper strikes and better-preserved surfaces than circulation examples, potentially making the extra thickness doubling more readily apparent. Denver struck approximately 83.17 million half dollars in 1973, the clad composition era when Kennedy halves had transitioned from the original 90% silver (1964 only) through 40% silver-clad (1965-1970) to the copper-nickel clad composition introduced in 1971. Extra thickness as a doubling descriptor indicates the primary and secondary hub impressions nearly overlap, producing broadened and thickened design elements rather than clearly separated doubled images — a characteristic of close doubling that requires side-by-side comparison against confirmed normal specimens for attribution. The breadth of affected elements — motto, LIBERTY, and date — spanning different areas of the obverse suggests a substantial but subtle hub displacement that impacted the entire die face. Examination under 10-15x magnification focused on the WE TRUST lettering and date numerals should reveal the thickened strokes.

Die Markers

• UVC-210
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References