Kennedy Half Dollar Values The United States Mint first produced the Kennedy half dollar in 1964, just months after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The nation was mourning the death of the popular president. Congress immediately passed a law (Public Law 88-256) replacing the Franklin half dollar with a coin commemorating President John F. Kennedy. Gilroy Roberts created Kennedy’s portrait on the obverse, and Frank Gasparro engraved the heraldic eagle on the reverse, based on the Great Seal of the United States.
In 1964, the Kennedy half dollar was made of 90% silver and 10% copper. Half dollars minted from 1965 to 1970 are made of two outer layers containing 80% silver and 20% copper, and an inner layer of 20.9% silver and 79.1% copper (total composition: 40% silver and 60% copper). Coins minted in 1971 and after have an outer layer made of 75% copper and 25% nickel, fused to an inner core of pure copper. The coin has a diameter of 30.6 mm and a reeded edge on the edge. Read on to learn more about the value and history of the Kennedy Half Dollar.
The Market for Kennedy Half Dollars
You can still get Kennedy Half Dollars at face value from some banks, and these half dollars are quite common. Circulating coins minted from 1964 to 1970 derive most of their value from their silver content, which was reduced from 90% (in 1964-dated coins) to 40% from 1965 to 1970. Collecting Kennedy half dollars has begun to grow in popularity.
Beginning in 2002, demand for half dollars dropped dramatically. Therefore, the United States Mint produced Kennedy half dollars only for collectors. In 2022, the Federal Reserve Bank ordered more half dollars for circulation. This was the first time in twenty years that Kennedy half dollars were produced for commerce.
Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties
Although there are some smaller varieties of the Kennedy half dollar, none of these are extremely rare or expensive. The Mint made special collector coins from 1965 to 1967 and again since 1992. These coins are affordable enough for any coin collector’s budget. In 1975 and 1976, these coins were minted with the dates 1776-1976. These are commemorative coins minted in celebration of the United States Bicentennial. Although these appear to be unique, billions of these coins were minted and do not command a premium value.
In 1970, the United States Mint made Kennedy half dollars at the Denver Mint and the San Francisco Mint. The Philadelphia Mint made no half dollars this year. The Mint made proof-finished coins in San Francisco for inclusion in the 1970 proof set. The coins minted in Denver were of commercial quality and are included in the United States Obsolete Mint sets. Therefore, the only way to obtain an example of a circulation quality 1970-D Kennedy half-dollar is to purchase a United States obsolete 1970 Mint set.
In 2014, the Mint created special collector’s edition coins to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy half dollar. The first set was a unique collector’s edition set called the “50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Obsolete Coin Set.” This set includes two copper-nickel-cased 2014 Kennedy half-dollars with obsolete finishes, one from the United States Mint in Philadelphia and the other from Denver. The designs on these coins replicate the high-relief portrait on the original 1964 coin.
The second set produced in 2014 was the 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Silver Coin Collection. This silver half-dollar set of four coins had four different finishings on the coins. Kennedy Half Dollar Values Each coin used the original 1964 unmodified high-relief reverse design, hand-sculpted in 1963 by Gilroy Roberts, Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. Finally, the Mint released the Kennedy Half-Dollar Gold Proof Coin to mark the 50th anniversary. This special proof bullion coin was made of 99.99% pure gold.
Condition or Grade
If your coin is unworn and looks like the coin shown in the photo below, it is considered to be in circulation.
Kennedy Half Dollar Graded Extra Fine-45 (EF45/XF45)
Circulated Kennedy Half Dollar.
Credit: TeleTrade Coin Auctions, www.teletrade.com
If your coin looks like the coin shown in the photo below and has no signs of wear due to being in circulation, it is considered to be uncirculated.
- Kennedy Half Dollar Graded Mint State-63 (MS63)
- Current Kennedy Half Dollar.
- Credit: TeleTrade Coin Auctions, www.teletrade.com
Mint Mark
The Mint produced the Kennedy Half Dollar at three different mint centers: Philadelphia (no mint mark or P), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). As shown in the pictures in the link below, the mint mark is on the reverse of the 1964 coin, on the left side, just below the eagle’s claw. From 1968 to today, the mint mark is on the obverse of the coin, just below the Kennedy bust and above the date. Kennedy Half Dollar Values From 1965 to 1967, all U.S. coins did not have a mint mark.