Kennedy Halves - Doubling Revisited

[cpm9ball]

Okay, here we go again! After posting my original query about the '71DDR on Feb. 5, your input was helpful in determining that machine-doubling was the cause. Even so, I've been keeping an eye out for others. I just picked up two more $500 FRB boxes from my bank today, and I've only gotten through one. I've found 18 coins that have doubling on some part of the perimeter lettering. In some cases the doubling is on "UNITED" or "UNITED STATES" or "STATES" or "AMERICA" or "HALF" or "DOLLAR" or "HALF DOLLAR".

 

But, one coin seems really strange to me and has me perplexed. This '71-D has doubling on the reverse in several places:

 

to the right of UNITED ....

 

to the right and top of STATES ....

 

on the top of OF ....

 

on the top and to the left of AMERICA ....

 

on the top and/or inside HALF DOLLAR ....

 

from the viewer's perspective there is doubling on the right edge of the left wing from its tip to the elbow and the right edge of the shield....

 

doubling on the left edge of the right wing from its tip to the 3rd ray, the left side of the shield, the left tailfeather and the left arrow feather....

 

there is also doubling of the rim under HALF ....

 

BUT, THAT'S NOT ALL!

 

on the obverse, there is doubling on the right edge of the ear and on the rim above LIBERTY ....

 

This coin becomes even more provocative because there is a semicircular impression (possibly caused by a stray die chip or loosened debris) on the right edge of Kennedy's head behind the ear. Was anyone in Dallas in November, 1963?

 

If anyone would like to suggest theories on how this coin was botched, I'd love to hear them. I'm sorry, but I don't have the equipment to show detailed pictures.

 

Chris

[cpm9ball]

Aw, c'mon! I can't believe there isn't one person on these boards that doesn't have an opinion on this coin!

 

Chris

[Ed Daggett]

I don't read well enough to visualize the details you are describing at length. I get bored. A picture in this case is worth a thousand words.

 

Ed

[gmarguli]

Aw, c'mon! I can't believe there isn't one person on these boards that doesn't have an opinion on this coin!

 

Chris

 

It's machine doubled also. Or were you looking for another opinion?

[cpm9ball]

Aw, c'mon! I can't believe there isn't one person on these boards that doesn't have an opinion on this coin!

 

Chris

 

It's machine doubled also. Or were you looking for another opinion?

 

Greg, if I knew more about the minting process I'd probably agree with you, but would doubling to the left, right, above and below on one coin be a common occurrence? How would that happen? Also, the doubling on the wings, tail feathers and arrow feathers does not look like machine-doubling. I'm just trying to understand how this may have happened. The coin couldn't be worth too much. It's just a 34 year old circ that has gotten around.

 

Chris

[errorist]

Show a picture and I''ll tell ya what you have!!!

[gmarguli]

Greg, if I knew more about the minting process I'd probably agree with you, but would doubling to the left, right, above and below on one coin be a common occurrence? How would that happen? Also, the doubling on the wings, tail feathers and arrow feathers does not look like machine-doubling. I'm just trying to understand how this may have happened. The coin couldn't be worth too much. It's just a 34 year old circ that has gotten around.

 

The fact that the doubling is going in more than one direction is a sign that it is machine doubled and not a doubled die. A doubled die goes in one direction. Now a quad die could be as you describe, but it's not a quad die.

 

The coin, like all machine doubled coins, bounced around the die after being struck. It's rather common on Kennedys and shows up more dramatic because it is a large coin.

[cpm9ball]

Thanks, Greg!