Question on the 1964-P Kennedy Half Dollar:

[Tim]

I have a question about a 1964-P Kennedy that I would like to discuss and receive feed back on.

The coin (11662440), I think is close to 17-O-II with the following exceptions;
1. Besides the hair under the “R” in LIBERTY being tripled, the slanted leg of the “R” also looks tripled.
2. The first “T” in TRUST looks tripled.
3. The “U” in TRUST looks closer to the picture in Dr. Wiles’ book of the 7-O-II on page 74.
4. The designer’s initials look doubled.
5. And I see no double on the eye.
6. All other markers as described on page 84 of Dr. Wile’s book are present.

Any ideas on which variety it is?

[Dave Bowman]

Hi Tim, Good question! I do not have the answer but...the listings descriptions for the Kennedys as well as many of the other listings descriptions in the CONECA files and I suspect, most other lists, are not all inclusive with regards to every minute detail of a given die variety. What is described in the listings are the most important details to help identify the variety as judjed by the lister. The R in LIBERTY is very close in proxamity to the hair under it thus I conclude, without having the variety in my presence for examination, that the R could very much indeed show some of the same doubling affects as the hair under it as stated in the book b y James Wiles to which you refere. It just was not judged to be as an important as detail as the ones put in the books description. With that in mind, it is easy for me to see from the description in the book that triples might be seen on the first T in TRUST as you stated as well as designers initial doubling. The U of TRUST should however, look right. I do not have a suggestion as to why it does not. Of coarse you should not rule out the possbility of a new discovery if you think this is not the same coin as listed in the book.

[Tim]

Thanks Dave for the comments, I have a few submissions into PCGS right now and when I get them back this coin plus a few others will be sent off to Dr. Wiles for him to give them the "once over".