By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….
1971 was meant to mark a big change within the lifetime of the Kennedy Half Greenback.
Launched in 1964 to honor the recently-assassinated president John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Half Greenback changed former United States Mint Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock’s design that includes Founding Father Benjamin Franklin that had been in use since 1948. And within the following yr, the half greenback’s composition was modified from the 90% silver and 10% copper normal fineness of circulating subsidiary coinage to 40% silver and 60% copper–an alloy known as “silver-clad”. The silver-clad half greenback retained Gilroy Roberts’ bust of Kennedy on the obverse and Frank Gasparro’s heraldic eagle on the reverse.
A couple of years later, silver was eradicated from the denomination altogether by the invoice authorizing the creation of the Eisenhower Greenback (although that invoice referred to as for the manufacturing of silver-clad greenback cash to be offered to collectors). The Coinage Act of 1969, which referred to as for the creation of a greenback coin honoring the late president and World Battle II normal Dwight D. Eisenhower and eradicating silver from the Kennedy half, was hooked up as an modification to the One Financial institution Holding Act of 1970. The legislation was signed by President Richard M. Nixon minutes earlier than midnight on December 31, 1970; had he waited till after midnight, a pocket veto would have killed the invoice.
A 25% nickel and 75% copper metallic composition often known as copper-nickel clad was used for the half greenback for the primary time in 1971. The composition was launched for the dime and quarter in 1965. Roberts’ and Gasparro’s designs remained unchanged. So, too, did the dimensions of the coin. The burden, nonetheless, was decreased from 11.5 to 11.3 grams.
But regardless of all the eye that Congress was giving to the denomination, use of the half greenback in day by day transactions had declined considerably by the late Sixties. One issue was the predictable hoarding of Kennedy Half {Dollars} by an American public that held the late president in excessive esteem. No matter design, 90% silver half {dollars} had been plucked from circulation for his or her bullion worth starting within the early-to-mid Sixties. The general public hoarded the silver-clad cash too, although within the mid-to-late Sixties, the silver in every coin was price lower than 50 cents; PCGS claims that the silver-clad cash’ silver bullion worth didn’t exceed face till 1974.
By 1971, half {dollars} had been now not a significant a part of most shoppers’ lives and have become silver (or silver and/or copper-nickel clad) curios squirreled away in drawers. 1970 Kennedy Halves, the final of the silver-clad composition, weren’t struck for circulation however fairly for inclusion solely in Mint Units. Merchandising machines didn’t settle for half {dollars}, and lots of cashier’s tills now not had house devoted to the denomination.
The Mint would cease placing half {dollars} for circulation fully in 2002.
However that was years down the street. In 1971, 155,164,000 enterprise strike Kennedy Halves had been struck on the Philadelphia Mint, although no mintmark was utilized to Philadelphia half {dollars} till 1980.
How A lot Is the 1971 Kennedy Half Greenback Price?
The primary date with the brand new copper-nickel clad composition is inexpensive and accessible for nearly all collectors.
Uncooked 1971 Kennedy Halves are often supplied on eBay for a couple of {dollars} or much less. Half {dollars} dated 1971 may be bought at face worth if a collector is keen to dig by rolls. CoinWeek author Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez did simply that in his August 2018 article, discovering 355 of them (greater than another date) out of two,000 half {dollars} bought from a financial institution. Nearly all of the cash he discovered had been copper-nickel clad, struck within the Seventies, and in common circulated situation.
Most surviving Mint State examples of the 1971 Kennedy Half Greenback will grade between MS64 and MS65 if submitted to the grading providers. A collector on the lookout for an instance in Gem Uncirculated grades or larger, licensed MS65 and MS66, ought to be able to spend $20 to $65.
Collectors looking for cash within the prime finish of the market, nonetheless, ought to be able to spend greater than $1,000.
The best-known 1971 half {dollars} grade MS67, with each NGC and PCGS certifying seven at that grade. The report public public sale worth for an authorized 1971-P Kennedy Half Greenback was realized on November 11, 2018 (the a centesimal anniversary of the top of World Battle I, coincidentally) in a Heritage Auctions sale when an instance licensed MS67 by NGC crossed the block for $1,560.
However consider, huge numbers of Mint State (and Mint Set) 1971 half {dollars} have but to be submitted for grading.
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Market Knowledge and Noteworthy Specimens
High Inhabitants: PCGS MS67 (9, 10/2024), NGC MS67+ (1, 10/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS67 #5602447: Stack’s Bowers, April 12, 2023, Lot 91748 – $1,200.
- NGC MS67 #2724463-001: Heritage Auctions, November 11, 2018, Lot 7513 – $1,560.
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Design
Obverse:
The central motif is an effigy of the thirty fifth President of the USA, the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A warfare hero and (on the time) the youngest individual ever to function president, Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, and assassinated on November 22, 1963. The nation’s grief was such that Congress and the Mint rushed by a design change on the half greenback denomination to commemorate him.
Atop the higher half of the rim is the inscription LIBERTY, with Kennedy’s hair protecting the underside parts of the letters “B”, “E”, and “R”. The date 1971 is cradled on the backside of the coin, whereas the nationwide motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in a straight line above the yr however divided by the sharp truncation of Kennedy’s neck.
Gilroy Roberts’ initials are on the truncation line of Kennedy’s bust, above WE on the underside proper aspect of the coin.
Reverse:
Roberts’ assistant, Frank Gasparro, designed the reverse. He primarily based the eagle on the Presidential Coat of Arms from the Seal of the President of the USA, which relies on the Nice Seal of the USA. The Presidential Seal in its present type was finalized by President Harry S. Truman in 1945, although the variety of stars on the seal (and therefore the coin) went from 48 to 50 as Alaska and Hawaii entered the Union.
The heraldic eagle’s wings and legs are unfold in 4 instructions. The left talon (viewer’s proper) holds arrows, an emblem of warfare, whereas the best claw (viewer’s left) grips an olive department, an emblem of peace. It’s custom for the eagle to face one aspect or the opposite relative to nationwide circumstances on the time of placing; on this occasion, the eagle faces in the direction of the olive department regardless of America’s involvement in Vietnam and different conflicts world wide.
Frank Gasparro’s initials FG are between the eagle’s left leg and tail feathers.
A Union protect covers the eagle’s breast. Vertical bars representing the 13 crimson and white stripes of the American flag run down most of its face, representing the unique 13 colonies of the USA. The highest of the protect (a horizontal band is in any other case recognized in heraldry as a chief) options no stars.
Instantly above the eagle’s head is a scroll that includes the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The design behind and above the eagle, which consists of 15 rays, 9 stars, and a mass of clouds, known as the glory and is a typical design aspect of each heraldry and an precedent days of numismatics.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs clockwise alongside the highest rim of the reverse, whereas the denomination HALF DOLLAR runs counterclockwise alongside the underside. Dots are between the 2 inscriptions at each ends. Surrounding the eagle is a hoop of fifty stars, representing the 50 states of the Union on the time of the coin’s manufacturing.
Edge:
The sting of the 1971 Kennedy Half Greenback is reeded.
Designers
Gilroy Roberts was the ninth Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, serving from July 22, 1948, to February 11, 1965. His work with the Franklin Mint brought on the USA Mint to let him go. Roberts is greatest remembered for his design of the Kennedy Half Greenback obverse.
Frank Gasparro was an American medalist and coin designer. After serving as Gilroy Roberts’s assistant engraver, he turned the tenth Chief Engraver of the USA Mint, serving from 1965 to 1981. Apart from the Kennedy Half Greenback reverse, Gasparro additionally designed the Lincoln Memorial Cent reverse, the Eisenhower Greenback obverse and common reverse, and the Susan B. Anthony Greenback (View Designer’s Profile).
1971 Kennedy Half Greenback Coin Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| 12 months of Difficulty: | 1971 |
| Denomination: | Half Greenback (50 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 155,164,000 |
| Alloy: | .750 Copper, .250 Nickel |
| Weight: | 11.34 g |
| Diameter: | 30.60 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Gilroy Roberts |
| REV Designer: | Frank Gasparro |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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