1976-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Documented as DDR-002 for the 1976-S Bicentennial half dollar clad proof, this doubled die reverse exhibits light spread on the lower right star, AMERICA, and DOLLAR on the special reverse designed by Seth G. Huntington depicting Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The Kennedy half dollar Bicentennial issue replaced Gilroy Roberts's standard heraldic eagle reverse with Huntington's Independence Hall scene, creating a dual-dated 1776-1976 commemorative struck during both 1975 and 1976 production years. VarietyVista cataloged this variety with identifiers UVC-079 and DMR-006, tracking three die stages: Stage A with both reverse and obverse at early die state, Stage B at EDS (unconfirmed), and Stage C at EDS (unconfirmed). The clad-nickel proof designation confirms this was struck at San Francisco on standard copper-nickel clad planchets rather than the 40% silver Bicentennial composition also produced that year. Obverse Design Variant ODV-008 and Reverse Design Variant RDV-004 are noted, providing die lineage information that helps distinguish this variety from other 1976-S DDRs sharing similar spread characteristics. The light spread classification indicates the doubling requires careful examination to confirm — the secondary impression sits close to the primary, producing thickened rather than clearly separated design elements. Independence Hall's architectural detail on the reverse provides numerous fine lines and inscriptions where even light hub displacement becomes detectable. Collectors should direct focused lighting across the lower right star and the letters of AMERICA and DOLLAR under 15-20x magnification, looking for subtle shelf-like displacement or thickening at the character edges.

Die Markers

• UVC-079
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• EDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References