"A COIN WHOSE BEAUTY WOULD ENDURE"

CONGRESS AUTHORIZES KENNEDY HALF-DOLLAR

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On December 30, 1963, the bill authorizing the minting of the Kennedy Half-Dollar* was passed by Congress and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Half-Dollar was chosen to pay tribute to the martyred president by his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy.  She preferred the half-dollar because the current coin bore the portrait of Benjamin Franklin who had not served as POTUS.

The obverse bears the profile of JFK and the reverse the seal of the President of the United States.  The design of the obverse of the coin was the work of the Mint's chief engraver, Gilroy Roberts**.

Mr. Roberts said he wanted to create a "coin whose beauty would endure and (leave) no doubt as to the identity of the subject."

*Kennedy Half-Dollar, minted from 1964 to the present replaced the (Benjamin) Franklin Half-Dollar.  A total of 430 million coins were struck, more than the total struck of the Franklin Half-Dollar in its 16 years of production.  The first coins, offered to the public on March 24 1964, were sold out by the end of the day.

**Gilroy Roberts (1905-1992) was born in Philadelphia & served as Chief Engraver at the United States Mint (1948-1964).  GR was succeeded by Frank Gasparro who designed the reverse of the Kennedy Half-Dollar. 

SOURCE

"Minting a Legacy:  The History of the Kennedy Half-Dollar," John F. Kennedy Historic Site, National Park Service, www.nps.gov/

 

 

Kennedy Half-Dollar

Obverse

by Gilroy Roberts

United States Mint

www.usmint.gov/

 

 

Kennedy Half-Dollar

Reverse

By Frank Gasparro

United States Mint

www.usmint.gov/
 

KENNEDY HALVES ARE SELDOM SEEN IN CIRCULATION

CEREMONIAL FIRST STRIKE OF THE KENNEDY HALF-DOLLAR

Philadelphia & Denver (JFK+50) On February 11, 1964, the ceremonial first strike of the Kennedy Half-Dollar was made at the United States Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Denver, Colorado.

Five days later, Herbert C. Bardes wrote in the New York Times...

"National distribution of the 1964 issue will begin in six to eight weeks.  The first of the new half-dollars for general circulation purposes were struck in Philadelphia and Denver on Tuesday, but they are not being released now."

The United States Treasury Department made the Kennedy halves available to the general public on March 24, 1964.  In Washington, D.C. the allotted 70,000 half-dollars were gone by the end of the day.

President Lyndon B. Johnson had issued a statement on December 10, 1963, following the lead of Texas Congressman Henry Gonzales, proposing the Kennedy Half-Dollar. 

The statement pointed out that with JFK's likeness on the 50 cent piece, there would be a president on every coin denomination from the penny to the half-dollar.  JFK replaced Benjamin Franklin, a "founding father" who never served as president.  In addition, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy did not want her husband's likeness to replace that of George Washington on the quarter.*

Sculptors Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparro were able to adapt their original designs of the Kennedy Medal produced by the US MINT for the new coin which bears the profile of JFK on the obverse (designed by GR) and the Seal of the President of the United States on the reverse (designed by FG).

90,000,000 of the 1964 Kennedy Half-Dollars were minted.  The coin was made of 90% silver and 10% copper.  In 1971, the silver content was completely removed and all future standard issue coins were made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. 

*Ironically, Washington quarters continue to be seen commonly in circulation.  They are popular for vending machines and arcade games.  Kennedy halves, on the other hand, are seldom seen in circulation.

SOURCES

"News of Coins Last Word Is Issued on Kennedy Halves," by Herbert C. Bardes, The New York Times, February 16, 1964.

"The Story of the Kennedy Half-Dollar," www.usmint.gov/

www.coinflation.com

Obverse of the Kennedy Half-Dollar

United States Mint Image

Reverse Kennedy Half-Dollar

United States Mint Image

KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR

KENNEDY HALF-DOLLAR AUTHORIZED 51 YEARS AGO

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Fifty-one years ago today, December 30, 1963, the Kennedy Half-Dollar was authorized by Congress as a memorial to the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who had been assassinated five weeks earlier.

Jacqueline Kennedy, the President's widow, was given the opportunity to select from the quarter, half-dollar and silver dollar.  She declined the quarter because she did not want JFK's likeness to replace that of President George Washington.  

Mrs. Kennedy. when presented with the designs, only asked for a slight change to the President's hair.

Because the half-dollar in production at the time bearing the likeness of Benjamin Franklin still had four years to run, Congressional approval was necessary to replace it with the Kennedy half-dollar. 

Representative Henry Gonzalez of Texas introduced the bill to authorize the coin in early December 1963 and President Lyndon B. Johnson endorsed the proposal on December 10.

Sculptors Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparro were able to adapt their original designs of the Kennedy Medal produced by the US MINT for the new coin which bears the profile of JFK on the obverse (designed by GR) and the Seal of the President of the United States on the reverse (designed by FG).

Obverse of the Kennedy Half-Dollar

United States Mint Image

The Kennedy half-dollar, which began production in January 1964 in Denver and Philadelphia, was made of 90% silver and 10% copper.  In 1971, the silver content was completely removed and all future standard issue coins were made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. 

The "melt value" of the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar is currently $5.75.  A 1964 Kennedy half-dollar rated MS-64 is available today on EBAY for $30.  A complete set (1964-2014) is also on sale for $979.45.

The Philadelphia Mint produced 273,304,004 Kennedy half-dollars for the year 1964 while the Denver Mint produced 156,205,446.

Reverse Kennedy Half-Dollar

United States Mint Image

A 50th Anniversary Kennedy half-dollar with the dates 1964-2014 is now available from the US MINT for $1,165.  The coin, limited to 75,000 pieces, is 3/4 ounce pure 24 karat gold and is the first gold half-dollar offered by the mint.

SOURCES

www.coinflation.com

www.usmint.gov/