Kennedy Half Dollar, Silver-Clad (1965-1970) | CoinWeek
By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The silver Kennedy Half Dollar was first issued in 1964 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy just months after his shocking assassination in Dallas. But this desire to commemorate the beloved young President in silver ran contrary to the evolving realities of the market for the precious metal.
In 1965, when Congress acted to change the composition of America’s silver coins to base-metal clad, it made an exception for the half dollar, which merely saw a reduction to 40% silver (the remainder being a copper-nickel alloy). It’s not solely because of this carve out that the half dollar denomination fell out of daily use, but it certainly didn’t help matters that Congress did not see fit to work with the vending machine industry to find a solution for the cumbersome coin now that it’s size and weight was no longer based on the coin’s intrinsic value.
Collecting the Silver-Clad Kennedy Half Dollar
The Silver Clad-Kennedy Half Dollar type is an affordable and easily completable subset of the Kennedy Half Dollar series. The set consists of six business strikes, three Special Mint Set coins, and three Proof issues.
Kennedy Half Dollars, Silver-Clad Type (1965-1970) |
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| Business Strikes | Special Mint Set Coins | Proof Coins |
| 1965 | 1965 | |
| 1966 | 1966 | |
| 1967 | 1967 | |
| 1968-D | 1968-S | |
| 1969-D | 1969-S | |
| 1970-D | 1970-S | |
Business strikes were produced for all six years, although all business strikes produced from 1968-1970 carry the “D” mintmark of the Denver Mint. Uncirculated examples of these coins can be acquired in the United States Mint’s annual Uncirculated Coin Sets, which resumed production in 1968.
Special Mint Set coins were produced for sale as a replacement for the Mint’s annual Uncirculated Sets and Proof Sets. The coins are quasi-Proofs, but not made to the same specifications. These sets were produced at the San Francisco Assay Office but do not carry a mintmark. They were sold at an issue price of $4 and included each of the five coins struck that year. The 1965 Special Mint Set was produced in 1966, while production of the 1966 Special Mint Set coins began in August of that year. These sets can be obtained today for less than $15 each.
Proof Set production resumed in 1968. As with the Special Mint Sets, Proofs were struck in San Francisco, but this time carried the “S” mintmark. Between 2.6 and 3 million sets were produced each of the three years that silver-clad Kennedy Half Dollars were struck, so collectors will have little trouble acquiring a set for a reasonable price.
In-Depth Date Analysis by CoinWeek Notes
Kennedy Half Dollar, Silver-Clad Design
Obverse:
Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts adapted the Kennedy Half Dollar obverse from his work on the Kennedy Inaugural Medal. President Kennedy’s left-facing portrait is the design’s central motif. Wrapping around the upper portion of the rim is the word LIBERTY. The national motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in a straight line that extends from the left edge to the right edge of the coin, with “GOD” and “WE” separated by the truncation of Kennedy’s neck. The date 1964 wraps around the bottom of the design. Roberts’ initials appear on the truncation of Kennedy’s neck above the word “WE”.
Reverse:
Roberts’ assistant Frank Gasparro adapted the Kennedy Half Dollar reverse design from the Seal of the President of the United States. A heraldic eagle is splayed, its chest protected by the Union shield. Clutched in its beak is a ribbon emblazoned with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. A glory of rays, clouds, and stars fans out from behind the eagle. The 13 stars represent the original British American colonies, while the rays and clouds signify heaven and the divine providence the founders believed inspired the formation of the United States. The eagle’s talons grip an olive branch in its dexter and a spray of arrows in its sinister. Fifty stars surround this central motif.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the top of the design. The denomination HALF DOLLAR wraps around the bottom. Gasparro’s initials FG appear between the eagle’s left leg and tail feathers.
Edge:
The edge of the Kennedy Half Dollar is reeded.
Coin Specifications
| Kennedy Half Dollar | Silver-Clad Type |
| Years of Issue: | 1965-70 |
| Mintage (Circulation): | High: 295,046,978 (1967); Low: 2,150,000 (1970-D) |
| Mintage (Proof): | High: 3,041,506 (1968-S); Low: 2,632,810 (1970-S) |
| Alloy: | .400 Silver, .600 Copper (Outer layers of .800 Silver, .200 Copper bonded to an inner core of .209 Silver, .791 Copper) |
| Weight: | 11.5 g |
| Diameter: | 30.6 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Gilroy Roberts |
| REV Designer: | Frank Gasparro |
| Quality: | Business Strike, Specimen, Proof |
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Additional References
Bowers, Q. David. The Experts Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins. Whitman Publishing.
–. A Guide Book of United States Type Coins. Whitman Publishing.
Breen, Walter. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins. Doubleday.
Guth, Ron, and Jeff Garrett. United States Coinage: A Study by Type. Whitman Publishing.
Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. Arco Publishing.
Yeoman, R.S., and Jeff Garrett (editor). The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins. Whitman Publishing.
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