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1998 Kennedy Proof DDO ? Looks are deceiving !
Taken from a blog post off my website. I figured it may help others understand the processes I use to debunk or confirm a potential Doubled Die.
I am preparing for the VNA coin convention show, and I am picking through a box of Kennedy half dollars. Something on this 1998 Kennedy doesn't look right when I do a 5 second pass under a 20X loupe. To give you an example of what I was seeing, take a look:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2624.jpg
Hummm I need a closer view of this coin. Best case it could be a discovery coin. Worse case its some sort of damage that looks like a stereotypical Kennedy DDO of years past.
Mind you this is a 1998 - many years after the US mint went to a single squeeze technique, trying to eliminate doubled die varieties that pretty much were running amuck in the coin collecting hobby. Looks like the "underarms" of the "T's" looks correct, and so does the "R" in TRUST. This Kennedy half dollar shows some signs of what could be a potential doubled die.
This 1998 Kennedy is Flashy, and difficult to shoot. One of my favorite tricks to shoot proof coins is to elevate the southern most portion of the coin, in this case, the area under the date on the Kennedy half dollar with a few 2x2 mylars that have coins in them. All it takes is one or two coins to get a nice even glow on the field. The result looks like this:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2636.jpg
Looking at the T-R-U-S.... Hey wait a minute ! The bottom of that last "T" looks like its almost hollow. That's not a normal sign when it comes to a Kennedy doubled die. Typically you will see an impression that looks like a sad face at the bottom of that "T". Taking a closer look at the photo above, look at the "rings" that surround the letters. They look like tree rings - sort of. This is beginning to show signs that this particular Kennedy was struck really really hard by the dies and coin press. That's a sign to look for other areas which may exhibit some machine doubling. The initial feeling was skeptical at best, due to the year. Now that I see the condition of that last "T" and those resounding ring marks, I am losing confidence quickly that this coin is a potential doubled die obverse (DDO).
Lets look a little further and see if there are more tell tale signs of what is going on with this coin. Looking at "IN GOD WE", there isn't anything really standing out to prove the fate of this Kennedy half dollar. I see something going on at the bottom of "IN", and "GOD" shows a little more on the top of the coin surface where a typical DDO issue resides, but it is not convincing.
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2641.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2642.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2643.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2644.jpg
Lets take a quick look at the date. TYPICALLY, a coin that exhibits DDO characteristics will look like a single crisp line through the number(s). It would look like, hummm if these numbers were made of bread and they were big, it would look like some one took a sharp knife and cut a path near the middle to edge of each letter. It would look like the number was almost duplicated.
Take a look at the date and think about what you see:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2640.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...16/09/x9xx.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content.../09/xx9x-1.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...16/09/xxx8.jpg
If your looking at this in the right context, there is a line there, but it ragged and uneven. It appears that some parts of the numbers are removed or damaged - a CLASSIC sign of potential machine doubling, or ejection doubling if you will. Both machine doubling and ejection doubling are worthless doubling. A true DDO will ADD to the area where a DDO is present. Machine doubling will take away or damage the area it effects. So, an easy way to remember is, if you see damage, more than likely its machine doubling you are looking at.
Lets take a look at a few more devices around the Obverse of this Kennedy Half Dollar to make absolutely sure its machine doubling:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2645.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2646.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2647.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2648.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2649.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content.../2016/09/T.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2651.jpg
The devices in "LIBERTY" show some significant damage when we get up close and personal. Take a look at the "LIBE", those in particular show some damage done to the devices, with no additional added area what so ever. Some times a coin can show signs of a potential doubled die, but with some careful examination, the truth can be logically found. Chock this coin up as a victim of machine doubling.
SO, Your probably wondering, what does a Kennedy Half Dollar Doubled Die Obverse look like ? Here is my favorite pick up point (PUP) to identify Kennedy Half Dollar Doubled dies:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2652.jpg
YES, this IS a doubled die a photo from a 1964 Kennedy Half. Remember that saying, it is a doubled die if it ADDS to the devices in question. Remember also, doubled dies were made when the Master Die struck a heated working die. The engravers knew it would commonly take more than one pressing to get all the details, and sometimes, they would take the working die out to examine it, and then manually by hand, try to re-align the coin exactly in the same place, and press it again for more details. Back then, before 1990's - they had issues with aligning these dies for multiple pressings on the working dies, and double dies would show up quite nicely like the one above. Too bad the single squeeze technology eliminates most of the dramatic DDO's that were once produced. For those that have these older DDO beauties in hand, its only a matter of time before their true worth is noticed.
Happy Hunting !! Don't give up, because once you see your first DDO, you will laugh and the light bulb will shine brightly thereafter.
I am preparing for the VNA coin convention show, and I am picking through a box of Kennedy half dollars. Something on this 1998 Kennedy doesn't look right when I do a 5 second pass under a 20X loupe. To give you an example of what I was seeing, take a look:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2624.jpg
Hummm I need a closer view of this coin. Best case it could be a discovery coin. Worse case its some sort of damage that looks like a stereotypical Kennedy DDO of years past.
Mind you this is a 1998 - many years after the US mint went to a single squeeze technique, trying to eliminate doubled die varieties that pretty much were running amuck in the coin collecting hobby. Looks like the "underarms" of the "T's" looks correct, and so does the "R" in TRUST. This Kennedy half dollar shows some signs of what could be a potential doubled die.
This 1998 Kennedy is Flashy, and difficult to shoot. One of my favorite tricks to shoot proof coins is to elevate the southern most portion of the coin, in this case, the area under the date on the Kennedy half dollar with a few 2x2 mylars that have coins in them. All it takes is one or two coins to get a nice even glow on the field. The result looks like this:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2636.jpg
Looking at the T-R-U-S.... Hey wait a minute ! The bottom of that last "T" looks like its almost hollow. That's not a normal sign when it comes to a Kennedy doubled die. Typically you will see an impression that looks like a sad face at the bottom of that "T". Taking a closer look at the photo above, look at the "rings" that surround the letters. They look like tree rings - sort of. This is beginning to show signs that this particular Kennedy was struck really really hard by the dies and coin press. That's a sign to look for other areas which may exhibit some machine doubling. The initial feeling was skeptical at best, due to the year. Now that I see the condition of that last "T" and those resounding ring marks, I am losing confidence quickly that this coin is a potential doubled die obverse (DDO).
Lets look a little further and see if there are more tell tale signs of what is going on with this coin. Looking at "IN GOD WE", there isn't anything really standing out to prove the fate of this Kennedy half dollar. I see something going on at the bottom of "IN", and "GOD" shows a little more on the top of the coin surface where a typical DDO issue resides, but it is not convincing.
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2641.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2642.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2643.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2644.jpg
Lets take a quick look at the date. TYPICALLY, a coin that exhibits DDO characteristics will look like a single crisp line through the number(s). It would look like, hummm if these numbers were made of bread and they were big, it would look like some one took a sharp knife and cut a path near the middle to edge of each letter. It would look like the number was almost duplicated.
Take a look at the date and think about what you see:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2640.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...16/09/x9xx.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content.../09/xx9x-1.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...16/09/xxx8.jpg
If your looking at this in the right context, there is a line there, but it ragged and uneven. It appears that some parts of the numbers are removed or damaged - a CLASSIC sign of potential machine doubling, or ejection doubling if you will. Both machine doubling and ejection doubling are worthless doubling. A true DDO will ADD to the area where a DDO is present. Machine doubling will take away or damage the area it effects. So, an easy way to remember is, if you see damage, more than likely its machine doubling you are looking at.
Lets take a look at a few more devices around the Obverse of this Kennedy Half Dollar to make absolutely sure its machine doubling:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2645.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2646.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2647.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2648.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2649.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content.../2016/09/T.jpg
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2651.jpg
The devices in "LIBERTY" show some significant damage when we get up close and personal. Take a look at the "LIBE", those in particular show some damage done to the devices, with no additional added area what so ever. Some times a coin can show signs of a potential doubled die, but with some careful examination, the truth can be logically found. Chock this coin up as a victim of machine doubling.
SO, Your probably wondering, what does a Kennedy Half Dollar Doubled Die Obverse look like ? Here is my favorite pick up point (PUP) to identify Kennedy Half Dollar Doubled dies:
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...9/IMG_2652.jpg
YES, this IS a doubled die a photo from a 1964 Kennedy Half. Remember that saying, it is a doubled die if it ADDS to the devices in question. Remember also, doubled dies were made when the Master Die struck a heated working die. The engravers knew it would commonly take more than one pressing to get all the details, and sometimes, they would take the working die out to examine it, and then manually by hand, try to re-align the coin exactly in the same place, and press it again for more details. Back then, before 1990's - they had issues with aligning these dies for multiple pressings on the working dies, and double dies would show up quite nicely like the one above. Too bad the single squeeze technology eliminates most of the dramatic DDO's that were once produced. For those that have these older DDO beauties in hand, its only a matter of time before their true worth is noticed.
Happy Hunting !! Don't give up, because once you see your first DDO, you will laugh and the light bulb will shine brightly thereafter.
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