2014P-50DER-002T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Documented in the Trail Dies catalog and discovered by Phil Hammond, the 2014P-50DER-002T is a trail die reverse variety found on the 2014 Philadelphia Mint Kennedy Half Dollar. Die marker documentation identifies Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS), with obverse markers including a small die crack on the top of Kennedy’s ear and another die crack on the base of the bust transitioning into the field. The reverse in MDS shows no observed markers. The two obverse die cracks — one at the ear and one at the bust base — document concurrent structural failures developing in the obverse die during production, providing reliable attribution markers that help confirm this specific die pairing. Trail die reverses on Kennedy Half Dollars are a relatively uncommon specialty within the trail die collecting community, as the half dollar denomination’s lower production volume compared to cents generates fewer working dies and correspondingly fewer opportunities for trail die events. The Kennedy Half Dollar was designed by Gilroy Roberts for the obverse portrait of President John F. Kennedy and Frank Gasparro for the heraldic eagle reverse. The 2014 Philadelphia Mint issue was struck in copper-nickel clad composition weighing approximately 11.34 grams with a 30.6 mm diameter. The 2014 date is the 50th anniversary year of the Kennedy Half Dollar series, which debuted in 1964 following the assassination of President Kennedy. Phil Hammond’s discovery of this trail die reverse on a 50th-anniversary issue adds a variety dimension to an already commemoratively significant date. The MDS documentation indicates the die had seen moderate production use, and earlier die state specimens may exist that would show the trail features with greater clarity before die wear softened the secondary impression.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – a small die crack is seen on the top of Kennedy’s ear. Another die crack is seen on the base of the bust transiting into the field.
• Reverse is MDS – none observed.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Phil Hammond
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References