Kennedy half dollar Totally Explained

Everything about Kennedy Half Dollar totally explained

Evolving from the Franklin half dollar, the Kennedy half dollar is a coin of the United States first minted in 1964. This coin was first struck in 1964 less than a year after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The front features the face of President John F. Kennedy on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. The obverse was designed by Gilroy Roberts and the reverse was designed by Frank Gasparro.

Specifications

Obverse design: President John F. Kennedy
Reverse design: The Seal of the President of the United States
Bicentennial reverse designer: Seth Huntington
Bicentennial reverse design: Independence Hall in Philadelphia
Edge: reeded
Diameter: 30.6 mm
Thickness: 2.15 mm

Composition

The Kennedy half dollar was struck in 90% silver in 1964. The following year, this was changed to silver-clad, with the silver content lowered to 40%. In 1971, the circulation coinage composition was changed a final time, eliminating the silver, and using the copper-nickel clad standard common to the dollar, quarter, and dime. Bicentennial half dollars dated 1776-1976 were produced in the years 1975 and 1976 in the copper-nickel clad composition for circulation and proof and also in the 40% silver composition in uncirculated and proof versions for inclusion in special collector sets. When the United States Mint started producing silver proof sets in 1992, the Kennedy half dollar included in them had the same composition as the coins of 1964. Silver issue (regular circulation in year 1964, silver proof sets from 1992 to date):

Weight: 12.5 g

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver content: 11.25 g (0.3617 troy oz) Silver-clad issues (regular circulation in years 1965-1970, proof set in years 1975-1976):

Weight: 11.5 g

Composition:

: Outer layers: 80% silver, 20% copper

: Inner layers: 20.9% silver, 79.1% copper

Silver content: 4.60 g (0.1479 troy oz) Copper-nickel clad issues (regular circulation from 1971 to date):

Weight: 11.34 g (0.4 oz avoirdupois)

Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel

History

The Kennedy half dollar replaced the Franklin half dollar within a year of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In fact, Gilroy Roberts, the former chief engraver of the mint, and Frank Gasparro, the current chief engraver at the time, designed the coin a mere five days after Kennedy's death—though the profile of Kennedy was the same one Roberts had used for Kennedy's inaugural medal two years earlier.
   Ironically, the new Kennedy design caused the slow disappearance of the half-dollar as a regular mainstream circulating coin, through a series of unrelated events. First, collectors and even ordinary citizens hoarded the coins of 1964, due to the "new" design and because of sentiment for the late President Kennedy. In 1965 silver was eliminated from other coin denominations (dimes and quarters became copper-nickel clad), but silver remained in the half-dollar. The older Franklin halves of 90% silver were quickly removed from circulation by collectors and hoarders, and since the public now hoarded silver coins, most of the 90% silver 1964s, as well as the 40% silver composition 1965-1970 halves, saw little circulation as well. By time the Kennedy half dollar became regular copper-nickel clad in 1971, many banks and merchants were already used to no longer stocking and using the denomination as they were prior to 1964. The half dollar has always circulated to some extent, but hasn't at the level of circulation it had before 1964. Given the facts that the cash drawers of most merchants don't contain a place for quantities of half dollars, that most vending machines don't accept them, and that the dollar coin is smaller and is the subject of a push for acceptance, the half is likely to retain its limited circulation status.
   When the 1964 proof coins were first minted, the "I" in "LIBERTY" had a truncated lower-left serif, and the hair above Kennedy’s ear was heavily incised. After approximately 120,000 coins were produced, the dies were revised and the hair smoothed slightly. Jacqueline Kennedy was thought to have disliked the earlier, "accented hair" version (as it came to be known), although the lower relief design might have also have been introduced to facilitate production. Coins produced from the first die typically sell for about four times those from the later version. However, since a substantial number of the earlier coins seem to have been poorly struck, top quality specimens can fetch even higher prices.
   After the 1964 coin's introduction (around the height of the cold war), the Denver Mint received a number of complaints that the base of Kennedy’s neck bore the hammer and sickle symbol. However, closer examination will reveal that the mark is actually a script form of the initials "GR": Gilroy Roberts’ monogram.
   In 1975 and 1976, the bicentennial half dollar was minted showing Independence Hall on the reverse. All of the bicentennial halves are dated "1776–1976." While the special half sparked some interest in the public, when the half returned to its regular design in 1977, it continued its decline in use and mintage. By 2002, the coins were no longer minted for commercial use, but only in special mint rolls, mint sets, and proof sets for collectors.
   There is a significant demand for half dollars for use at casinos, where they can be used in paying off odd-dollar bets in blackjack and other games. For example, if a player gets "blackjack" at that game with a five-dollar bet, he or she's to be paid $7.50. Some casinos now use a fifty-cent ceramic chip.

Mints

In 1964, the mint mark appeared on the reverse, under the eagle's left talon. Starting in 1968, mint marks appear above the second and third numbers in the date under Kennedy's neck. Mint marks as of 2007 include:

Blank (Philadelphia Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 1964–1979

P (Philadelphia Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 1980—

D (Denver Mint in Denver, Colorado)

S (San Francisco Mint in San Francisco, California) All San Francisco Kennedy halves are proofs, except for those minted for the 40% silver Bicentennial uncirculated sets. Proof coins were minted at Philadelphia in 1964, but all other proofs were minted at San Francisco.

Mintage figures

Kennedy Half Dollars, 1964 (90% silver)

1964 P - 273,304,004

1964 D - 156,205,446 Kennedy Half Dollars, 1965-1970 (40% silver)

1965 - 65,879,366

1966 - 108,984,932

1967 - 295,046,978

1968 D - 246,951,930

1969 D - 129,881,800

1970 D - 2,150,000 Kennedy Half Dollars, 1971-present (cupro-nickel)

1971 P - 155,164,000

1971 D - 302,097,424

1972 P - 153,180,000

1972 D - 141,890,000

1973 P - 64,964,000

1973 D - 83,171,400

1974 P - 201,596,000

1974 D - 79,066,300 (no known half dollars dated 1975)

1976 P - 234,308,000 (bicentennial)

1976 D - 287,565,248 (bicentennial)

1977 P - 43,598,000

1977 D - 31,449,106

1978 P - 14,350,000

1978 D - 13,765,799

1979 P - 68,312,000

1979 D - 15,815,422

1980 P - 44,134,000

1980 D - 33,456,449

1981 P - 29,544,000

1981 D - 27,839,533

1982 P - 10,819,000

1982 D - 13,140,102

1983 P - 34,139,000

1983 D - 32,472,244

1984 P - 26,029,000

1984 D - 26,262,158

1985 P - 18,706,962

1985 D - 19,814,034

1986 P - 13,107,633

1986 D - 15,336,145

1987 P - 2,890,758

1987 D - 2,890,758

1988 P - 13,626,000

1988 D - 12,000,096

1989 P - 24,542,000

1989 D - 23,000,216

1990 P - 22,278,000

1990 D - 20,096,242

1991 P - 14,874,000

1991 D - 15,054,678

1992 P - 17,628,000

1992 D - 17,000,106

1993 P - 15,510,000

1993 D - 15,000,006

1994 P - 23,718,000

1994 D - 23,828,110

1995 P - 26,496,000

1995 D - 26,288,000

1996 P - 24,442,000

1996 D - 24,744,000

1997 P - 20,882,000

1997 D - 19,876,000

1998 P - 15,646,000

1998 D - 15,064,000

1999 P - 8,900,000

1999 D - 10,682,000

2000 P - 22,600,000

2000 D - 19,466,000

2001 P - 21,200,000

2001 D - 19,504,000

2002 P - 3,100,000

2002 D - 2,500,000

2003 P - 2,500,000

2003 D - 2,500,000

2004 P - 2,900,000

2004 D - 2,900,000

2005 P - 3,800,000

2005 D - 3,500,000

2006 P - 2,400,000

2006 D - 2,000,000

2007 P - 4,100,000

2007 D - 4,100,000Further Information

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