Is this a new 1950 Proof Franklin Half DDO/TDO?

UtahCoin

What do you think?

ifthevamzarockin

Looks like it might be a match for FS-101.

UtahCoin

@ifthevamzarockin said:
Looks like it might be a match for FS-101.

I believe you're correct. VarietyVista doesn't list it, so I thought it was new.

tincup

Nice find, even if not a new variety.

ElmerFusterpuck

Was afraid this was another dirty, damaged pocket change thread. Whew!!! Nice one!

fiftysevener

Here's something to think about. Probably not even 10 die pair were used in 1950. That means as many as 5000 coins of your variety could exist and very few were spent.

davewesen

@UtahCoin said:

@ifthevamzarockin said:
Looks like it might be a match for FS-101.

I believe you're correct. VarietyVista doesn't list it, so I thought it was new.

I would like to see the R of LIBERTY to confirm

georgiacop50

@fiftysevener said:
Here's something to think about. Probably not even 10 die pair were used in 1950. That means as many as 5000 coins of your variety could exist and very few were spent.

I know what you are saying. And for SOME Franklin proofs you are correct. For example the 1951 proof DDR-001 is very common and fits your theory.

But for many other Franklin proof doubled dies (including the OP's 1950 QDO) it just doesn't hold water. I can't explain why some are common and some are not. But the 1950 QDO is NOT common. Unfortunately, at least for now, there is not a lot of demand for them. But they do carry some premium especially in high grades.

ricko

Yep... Looks like it... now I will have to check my 1950 Franklin halves... have a few from when I put together a set... Cheers, RickO

UtahCoin

Here's a pic of the R in Liberty> @davewesen said:

@UtahCoin said:

@ifthevamzarockin said:
Looks like it might be a match for FS-101.

I believe you're correct. VarietyVista doesn't list it, so I thought it was new.

I would like to see the R of LIBERTY to confirm

Here's a pic of the R in Liberty

davewesen

You definitely have something. The CPG says that letter shows a QDO. It could be the angle or die state, but your picture is a little different than the CPG.

Intueor

@georgiacop50 said:

fiftysevener said:
Here's something to think about. Probably not even 10 die pair were used in 1950. That means as many as 5000 coins of your variety could exist and very few were spent.

I know what you are saying. And for SOME Franklin proofs you are correct. For example the 1951 proof DDR-001 is very common and fits your theory.

But for many other Franklin proof doubled dies (including the OP's 1950 QDO) it just doesn't hold water. I can't explain why some are common and some are not. But the 1950 QDO is NOT common. Unfortunately, at least for now, there is not a lot of demand for them. But they do carry some premium especially in high grades.

As @fiftysevener posted, there were several different Working Die marriages for the 1950 Franklin Proofs. Again, the life of a proof Working Dies was in the 5,000 range. However, georgiacop50’s observation is also valid. Very few QDO’s have been attributed. It is certainly possible that this is a result of the obscurity of the variety and not a function of production figures.

For the past few years as part of a research project on Franklins, hundreds of 1950 Proof Franklin images were searched. Sources included the “old” CoinFacts, Great Collections, eBay, NGC, ANAC, etc. where the 1950 Proof QDO could be identified. The result was only four unattributed examples. If there were 5,000 QDO pieces with a total 1950 proof mintage of ~50,000, the “hit” percentage would have been one in every 10 coins. That would qualify as “common”. It reality, the finds worked out to be about one in every 300 Franklin Proof coin is a QDO.

The reasoning behind the scarcity may lie in the production practices of the 1950 Proof coins. This was the first year of Proof strikes after a several year hiatus. There was new die room staff who never participated in proof production. In addition, there was a new re-engraved reverse Master Die (Type 1) designed and introduced for the 1950 Proof Franklin. It is reasonable to expect that quality control was aggressively practiced during at least the first few months of proof production. With a new reverse Master Die, there was probably additional scrutiny of Franklin Proofs. At some point, the press supervisor must have examined a 1950 Franklin Proof from the production tray and noticed the QDO error. In all likelihood, the press was stopped and the QDO obverse Working Die was pulled. It is evident that some of the “error” production had already been sent to the next stage of set preparation, packaging, inventory, and shipping. Maybe an effort was made to recover some of the error pieces or maybe not. Either way, thankfully a few escaped.

@UtahCoin
PS That is a very nice QDO find, Congratulations

fiftysevener

I checked mine for doubling or tripling and there is none. This one is an early strike and likely little or no polishing took place on these early proof Franklins. I assume die wear and polishing would make identification more difficult.

georgiacop50

always nice to get input from @intueor!

Did your search find any cameo QDOs?

Intueor

@georgiacop50 said:
always nice to get input from @intueor!

Did your search find any cameo QDOs?

No As far as I know, no 1950 Proof QDO Cameo has ever been attributed by a TPGS but I think you knew that.
Of the four unattributed proofs found during the research, only one was a light cameo.