1972 Kennedy Half Dollar - Die Fatigue? 0

[Kay!]

Hi Everyone,

I'm still over here learning and trying to get better at identifying different varieties vs die fatigue vs strike doubling and so and and so on. It never ends! So many things to look at - I think I have officially fallen down the rabbit hole. I give you all so much credit for the amount of time it takes to study examples of these in order to be comfortable with your determination.

This is another coin from the collection that was inherited - I've gotten through about another 60 coins so far but this one has me questioning. I'm just not confident so I am hopeful one of you may be able to help me out so I don't make the wrong decision on what to do with this one.

I think what I'm seeing here is some type of die fatigue but the U is what is mostly tripping me up. When I looked up varieties of this coin there is a known DDO for this Year on "We Trust" under FS-101 on VarietyPlus, NGC. But those photos show very clear example and thats just not what this looks like to me. 

Thoughts - am I on the right track with this being die fatigue/wear?

[kbbpll]

I see evidence of split serif in upper left tip of first T and tip of the R, but it's hard to tell. FS-101 seems pretty obvious and it doesn't look like yours is it. Variety Vista lists an SDO-001 but I don't know what "SDO" stands for. Don't be afraid to take them out of 2x2 for better images. I gently pry up the staple ends with the tip of a pocket knife and extract the staples. Others might use a staple remover but they tear up the 2x2 and I typically reuse the original. Of course you have to be very careful using a knife around coins! Wear gloves, don't get fingerprints on the coins or sneeze/blow on them, etc.

[Coinbuf]

I  agree there are clear signs of real doubling and split serfs, good catch.  

[Kay!]

17 minutes ago, kbbpll said:

I see evidence of split serif in upper left tip of first T and tip of the R, but it's hard to tell. FS-101 seems pretty obvious and it doesn't look like yours is it. Variety Vista lists an SDO-001 but I don't know what "SDO" stands for. Don't be afraid to take them out of 2x2 for better images. I gently pry up the staple ends with the tip of a pocket knife and extract the staples. Others might use a staple remover but they tear up the 2x2 and I typically reuse the original. Of course you have to be very careful using a knife around coins! Wear gloves, don't get fingerprints on the coins or sneeze/blow on them, etc.

Thanks for the advice, I took it out and got a couple additional close up photos. A tiny bit clearer. 

[Kay!]

6 minutes ago, Coinbuf said:

I  agree there are clear signs of real doubling and split serfs, good catch.  

haha if we are being honest here I was leaning more towards thinking it was fatigue. Now I'm wondering if I need to go back through the 60 coins I just finished looking at .. oh boy  now I'M FATIGUED. 

[Coinbuf]

2 minutes ago, Kay! said:

haha if we are being honest here I was leaning more towards thinking it was fatigue. Now I'm wondering if I need to go back through the 60 coins I just finished looking at .. oh boy  now I'M FATIGUED. 

Lol, no die fatigue looks like strike doubling sometimes just less defined or more mushy.  A lot of the 60's and 70's coinage was not well made due to poor master dies and overuse of the working dies.  So much of the coinage from those eras exhibit soft mushy and fatigued looking strikes right off the press.  But when you see the split serfs like the coin you have shown that is when you have something that is worthy of a second look and research.

[kbbpll]

If you're keeping the coins, you can always go back through them at your leisure. I've found cool stuff under a microscope on coins I've had for 40 years. If you're looking to sell them all, you'll have to weigh the value of your time and effort. To me it seems like getting a new attribution and maybe a "discovery coin" designation is a long, time-consuming process, then it has to be published somewhere to get noticed.

[Just Bob]

I am voting strike doubling, but different pictures with different lighting/angle may change my mind.