USA ½ dollar Kennedy Half Dollar 1967
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | ½ dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 202a |
| Mintage | 295,046,978 |
| Metal | Silver 0.400 |
| thickness | 2.15 mm |
| diameter | 30.6 mm |
| weight | 11.5 g |
Obverse:
Head of state
Description:
John F. Kennedy (35th President of the USA)
Creators:
Gilroy Roberts
IN GOD WE TRUST
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Coat of arms
Description:
Eagle (heraldry)
Creators:
Frank Gasparro (FG)
E PLURIBUS UNUM
FG
HALF DOLLAR
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
The year 1967 marked the first time since 1964 that the U. S. Mint confined its production to coins bearing their actual date of manufacture. The coin shortage was over, and enough of the new clad coins were in circulation that the Treasury Department no longer had to maintain its deception in striking coins of previous dates to prevent hoarding. This is almost certainly why the mintage of 1967 half dollars is so high, as the entire year was devoted to coins of that date alone. Gems are readily available through MS-65, with enough MS-66 coins certified to mostly meet the demand from advanced collectors. Worn examples are common, too, though only rarely are they seen grading less than Extremely Fine. It was already evident by 1967 that half dollars of any date were becoming a rare sight in most of the country. In actual fact, the popularity of this denomination in commerce had been declining since the 1950s, but the novelty of the Kennedy design sealed its fate once and for all. By the 1970s half dollars were rarely seen in circulation except in areas near gambling casinos, as these coins remained in common use at casinos until the late 1980s. Several nice doubled-die obverse (DDO) varieties are known for this issue, with a smaller number of minor DDR varieties.Read More
