By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
1972 marked the second manufacturing yr for the copper-nickel-clad Kennedy Half Greenback. The denomination was spared the indignity of getting its silver fully eliminated by Congress in 1965, however the billon silver composition didn’t flow into. Congress hoped that the bottom steel model would fare higher. On the margins, it did, however the half greenback would by no means once more be a fixture in commerce and sure gained’t ever be except a future Congress passes much-needed coinage reform.
The Denver Mint struck 141,890,000 Kennedy Half {Dollars} in 1972, which was half to its 1971 output. Denver half greenback mintages would proceed to say no by 1974 and spike as much as 1971 ranges with the Bicentennial problem. In fact, the 1776-1976 Kennedy Half Greenback was struck for 2 years.
Issues You Ought to Know In regards to the 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback Earlier than You Purchase or Promote
Whereas the half greenback isn’t a denomination one usually encounters in circulation, a lot of clad-era halves might be acquired at face worth by request at most banks. Oftentimes, native banks may have a small amount of mixed-date rolls turned in by clients. Some banks will even permit clients to order half {dollars} in amount; a field of half {dollars}, as an example, will comprise 50 rolls of $10 price of cash. It’s no assure that one will discover a 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback in any given field of cash, however an instance will flip up finally (together with the occasional silver or silver-clad half) with some effort.
A extra handy method to purchase a 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback is by buying a 1972 Uncirculated Coin Set. The United States Mint bought 2,750,000 Uncirculated Coin Units in 1972 at a problem worth of $3.50 ($26.87 in 2024 inflation-adjusted {dollars}). Every set comprises two pouches of cash, with one instance of every denomination, struck on the Philadelphia and Denver mints. The full face worth of the 1972 Uncirculated Coin Set is $1.82 and it routinely sells on-line for $10 or much less.
Supposing that the Kennedy Halves are probably the most priceless cash within the set, one can moderately assess the numismatic worth of the 1972 Kennedy Half Greenback and the 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback at lower than $4 every. Current eBay gross sales help this valuation.
In fact, this tells solely a part of the story. Some collectors pursue high quality fashionable cash and pays extra for cash licensed by CAC, NGC, and PCGS, if they’re assigned grades MS66 or larger. With out moving into the expansive subject of coin grading (we’ve printed an excellent article on the Sheldon Scale for these ), 1972-D Kennedy Half {Dollars} will typically exhibit flashy luster, be largely freed from scratches within the coin’s focal areas, and display a pointy strike for the date. Copper-nickel-clad planchets typically don’t strike up in addition to silver and silver-clad planchets, however by 1972, the Mint was studying fairly a bit about the way to resolve this problem through the use of stronger die metal.
Most surviving Mint State examples of the 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback will grade between MS64 and MS65 and will not be good candidates for submission to the grading companies. These cash typically promote for lower than the price of certification, which is why the variety of cash licensed by the grading companies isn’t an correct reflection of the Mint State survival fee of the coin.
A collector on the lookout for an instance in MS66 ought to be able to spend $20 to $25. The costs are larger in MS67, however in 2024, one should buy an instance for a lot lower than a couple of years in the past. In 2024, Heritage bought a PCGS-graded coin for $216; in 2023, Stack’s Bowers bought one other PCGS-graded piece for simply $100. From 2017 to 2018, cash on this grade bought for $500 to $600 every!
1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback “No FG”: Easy methods to Cherrypick This Beneficial Mint Error
The 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback is understood for a number of mint errors, from cash struck on the mistaken planchets to others with lacking clad layers, clipped edges, and unusual placing errors. Essentially the most well-known mint error for the date is the “No FG”.
Let’s talk about what “No FG” means, why the error occurred, and the way to spot it.
First, “FG” are the initials of Frank Gasparro, the half greenback’s reverse designer. Gasparro’s initials seem between the eagle’s prolonged left leg (to the viewer’s proper) and the tail feathers. In cases when this preliminary isn’t current (or is generally not current) on a struck coin, it is called a “No FG” Kennedy Half Greenback.
The absence of this function is brought about when a broken die is repaired and the element is polished off the face of the die. As you may see within the picture above, the “FG” is obvious on the picture on the left. Nevertheless, a lot of the initials have been effaced on the best picture. If you happen to look intently, it’s potential to make out a number of the form under the remnants of the highest of the “F” and “G”. NGC has attributed this coin as a “No FG”, however “No FG” errors exist with none hint of Gasparro’s initials. It’s unclear if this makes any distinction within the coin’s worth. In Uncirculated Situation, 1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback “No FG” mint errors are scarce and command a major premium.
* * *
1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback Market Knowledge and Noteworthy Specimens
Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS68 (2, 12/2024), NGC MS68 (3, 12/2024), and CAC MS62 (1, 12/2024).
- PCGS MS67+ #81732512: Heritage Auctions, January 8, 2017, Lot 9987 – $1,645.
- PCGS MS67 #48117869: Heritage Auctions, Could 7, 2024, Lot 23418 – $216.
- PCGS MS67 #3572710: Stack’s Bowers, April 12, 2023, Lot 91750 – $100.
- PCGS MS67 #21294660: Heritage Auctions, September 3, 2019, Lot 21234 – $216.
- PCGS MS67 #1608216: Heritage Auctions, October 2, 2018, Lot 21504 – $504. Previous Inexperienced Holder.
- NGC MS67 #4382233-025: Heritage Auctions, November 7, 2017, Lot 22050 – $600.
- PCGS MS67 #18156511: Heritage Auctions, April 19, 2012, Lot 16332 – $238.05.
1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback “No FG” Market Knowledge and Noteworthy Specimens
Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS66 (1, 12/2024), NGC MS65 (1, 12/2024), and CAC MS61 (1, 12/2024).
- NGC MS64 #6455406-001: Heritage Auctions, August 28, 2022, Lot 7120 – $1,500; Heritage Auctions, December 18, 2022, Lot 7177 – $900.
- PCGS MS63 #82279998: Heritage Auctions, April 4, 2017, Lot 15641 – $1,292.50.
- PCGS MS63 #14200752: “The Bristol Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, September 11, 2016, Lot 7794 – $2,485.13.
* * *
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-dollar 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 1972 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. The “D” mintmark of the Denver Mint is positioned above the date.
Gilroy Roberts’ initials are on the truncation line of Kennedy’s bust, above WE on the underside proper facet of the coin.
Reverse:
Roberts’ assistant, Frank Gasparro, designed the reverse. He based mostly 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 facet or the opposite relative to nationwide circumstances on the time of placing; on this occasion, the eagle faces in direction of the olive department regardless of America’s involvement in Vietnam and different conflicts all over the world.
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 understood 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, is 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 1972-D 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 about 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 grew to become the tenth Chief Engraver of the USA Mint, serving from 1965 to 1981. In addition to 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).
1972-D Kennedy Half Greenback Coin Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| 12 months of Subject: | 1972 |
| Denomination: | Half Greenback (50 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | D (Denver) |
| Mintage: | 141,890,000 |
| 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 |
* * *