By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The Kennedy Half Greenback debuted in 1964, simply months after the thirty fifth President was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. The assassination put the nation in a state of shock and the hurried effort to memorialize the slain President came about on the identical time that the United States Mint was feeling the crush of demand for cash caused by automation and an economic system that had almost doubled in dimension over the previous 10 years. Silver as a circulating coin steel was doomed, and experiments have been underway to discover a appropriate alternative.
Mintage experiences from 1900-1960 reveal that the half-dollar denomination noticed regular use in circulation. Within the final 12 months of the Franklin Half Greenback sequence, nonetheless, that regular output had ramped as much as ranges approaching 90 million cash. Demand for the quarter was greater than double, and the Mint had struck greater than 500 million dimes (dimes being essentially the most ceaselessly used coin for merchandising machines).
Demand for the 1964 Kennedy Half Greenback reached unprecedented ranges as a large swath of the American public needed to acquire keepsakes. This solely exacerbated the issues the Mint confronted with its incapability to outproduce demand. With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965, silver coinage was discontinued, a date freeze was applied, and the Mint started the method of manufacturing a enough amount of base steel cash to switch the entire silver cash that remained in circulation.
A carve-out for the Kennedy Half Greenback didn’t doom the denomination as is commonly stated, but it surely did make half {dollars} struck between 1965 and 1970 extra intrinsically priceless than the “equal” two clad quarters or 5 clad dimes. What actually did within the Kennedy Half Greenback was the merchandising machine business. Equally to the way it uncared for to undertake the Susan B. Anthony Greenback and the golden {dollars} of 2000 onward, the shortage of merchandising business assist made the awkwardly sized half greenback inefficient.
When Congress approved a change in composition to clad base metals for the 1971 difficulty, it didn’t resolve the coin’s dimension, which was traditionally primarily based on the worth of the silver. As a substitute, the cumbersome coin fell out of use, and by the early Eighties, manufacturing for circulation fell under 30 million cash on the identical time that the Mint was producing 1.2 billion quarters yearly.
Two-12 months Kennedy Half Greenback Bicentennial Reverse
The design of the Kennedy Half Greenback remained largely unchanged by the transition from 90% silver to 40% silver-clad, although the Mint’s engraving division made slight changes to the hubs to accommodate the tougher planchets and improve putting stress.
A serious change to the design was undertaken, nonetheless, in 1975 and 1976 as a part of the American Bicentennial. After a nationwide competitors, artist Seth Huntington’s design that includes the rear facade of Independence Corridor in Philadelphia and its bell tower was chosen to switch the Presidential Seal on the common reverse.
Moreover, the date of the obverse was modified to learn 1776-1976. The Philadelphia and Denver mints mixed to strike over 500 million Bicentennial Half {Dollars}, a quantity inconceivable with at present’s demand for the big 50-cent coin. Silver-clad and Proof half {dollars} have been produced in a lot decrease portions for the collector market.
At this time, getting a minimum of one Bicentennial Half Greenback out of a roll or two of circulated Kennedy Halves is sort of assured. Solely cash in Mint State carry a premium over face worth.
How Trendy Clad Kennedy Half {Dollars} Are Offered
The Mint’s primary buyer is the Federal Reserve Financial institution, which orders varied coin denominations to satisfy projected demand. From the Federal Reserve, cash are distributed to banks, which place orders for cash primarily based on native wants. It’s a posh but environment friendly system that has served the nation properly for many years.
Because the Kennedy Half Greenback is a licensed coin of the USA, in any given 12 months, banks might place orders for it in portions enough to require the Federal Reserve to order the Mint to strike the coin for circulation. Nonetheless, demand in most years doesn’t rise to this stage. As a substitute, when the Federal Reserve will get half greenback orders, it tends to launch cash from its stockpile of cash struck in earlier years.
Due to this fact, the Mint often strikes clad Kennedy Half {Dollars} just for its numismatic prospects, who buy them in Mint Units, collector baggage, and rolls. Which means it’s near-impossible to amass an entire set of clad Kennedy Half {Dollars} at face worth by way of roll looking. Collectors ought to receive Kennedy Halves by way of Mint Units (the most suitable choice as you get certainly one of every coin struck for circulation at each the Philadelphia and Denver mints) or as singles. At a minimal, anticipate to pay between $2 and $3 per uncirculated coin. An entire set may run about $350 to $400.
In-Depth Date Evaluation by CoinWeek Notes
Kennedy Half Greenback Clad Design
Obverse:
Gilroy Roberts tailored the Kennedy Half Greenback obverse from his work on Kennedy’s Inaugural Medal. Kennedy’s left-facing portrait is the design’s central motif. Wrapping across the higher portion of the rim is the phrase LIBERTY. The nationwide motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in a straight line that extends from the left edge to the fitting fringe of the coin, with “GOD” and “WE” separated by the truncation of Kennedy’s neck. The date wraps across the backside of the design. Roberts’ initials seem on the truncation of Kennedy’s neck above the phrase “WE”.
Reverse:
Frank Gasparro tailored the Kennedy Half Greenback reverse design from the Seal of the President of the United States. A heraldic eagle is splayed, its chest protected by the Union protect. Clutched in its beak is a ribbon emblazoned with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. A glory of rays, clouds, and stars followers out from behind the eagle. The 13 stars characterize the unique British American colonies, whereas the rays and clouds signify heaven and the divine windfall the founders believed impressed the formation of the United States. The eagle’s talons grip an olive department in its dexter claw and a sprig of arrows in its sinister. Fifty stars encompass this central motif.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps across the high of the design. The denomination HALF DOLLAR wraps across the backside. Frank Gasparro’s initials FG seem between the eagle’s left leg and tail feathers.
Edge:
The sting of the Kennedy Half Greenback is reeded.
Coin Specs
| Kennedy Half Greenback | Clad Sort |
| Years of Problem: | 1971-present |
| Mintage (Circulation): | Excessive: 302,097,424 (1971-D) ; Low: 1,700,000 (2008-P, 2008-D, 2010-D, 2011-D, 2012-D, 2019-P, and 2019-D) |
| Mintage (Proof): | Excessive: 4,227,728 (1987-S) ; Low: 511,148 (2011-S) |
| Alloy: | Outer layers of .750 copper, .250 nickel bonded to interior layer of pure copper |
| Weight: | 11.34 g |
| Diameter: | 30.6 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Gilroy Roberts |
| REV Designer: | Frank Gasparro |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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Further References
Bowers, Q. David. The Consultants Information to Gathering and Investing in Uncommon Cash. Whitman Publishing.
–. A Information E-book of United States Sort Cash. Whitman Publishing.
Breen, Walter. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Cash. Doubleday.
Guth, Ron, and Jeff Garrett. United States Coinage: A Examine by Sort. Whitman Publishing.
Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. Arco Publishing.
Yeoman, R.S., and Jeff Garrett (editor). The Official Purple E-book: A Information E-book of United States Cash. Whitman Publishing.
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