Description

The Kennedy half dollar, first minted in 1964, is a fifty-cent coin currently issued by the United States Mint. Intended as a memorial to the assassinated assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1963, it was authorized by Congress just over a month after his death.

The United States Mint celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s release with three different products in 2014: a two-coin set of Uncirculated copper-nickel clad Kennedy half dollars from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints; a four-coin set of silver half dollars (each with a different finish and struck at a different Mint); and a .999 fine gold version in Proof, this latter coin from the West Point Mint with a dual anniversary date of 1964–2014.

A silver coin from the West Point Mint featured a reverse proof finish, consisting of mirrored raised design elements and inscriptions against a frosted background. This represented the first use of the reverse proof finish for the series.

The specially issued coins featured the original obverse portrait of President Kennedy designed by Gilroy Roberts. During the year, standard versions of the half dollar were also released bearing the modern portrait design. Over the years, the design of the Kennedy Half Dollar had undergone a series of tweaks and modifications that left the modern appearance very different from the original. The idea to restore the original portrait was first suggested by San Francisco Mint employee Michael Levin and would be implemented for the 50th anniversary of the series. The obverse portrait was restored by scanning and digitizing a bronze galvano and an original die from the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar and creating a new basin from the 1964 hub basin curvature.

Obverse

Depicts the head of John F. Kennedy facing left, with LIBERTY above and to the sides, and the date below. IN GOD WE TRUST in a straight line above the date, mintmark between. Engraver's monogram (GR) on Kennedy's truncated bust.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination near the end of his third year in office. Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War, and the majority of his work as president concerned relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba. A Democrat, he represented Massachusetts in both houses of the U.S. Congress prior to his presidency.

Despite his truncated presidency, Kennedy ranks highly in polls of U.S. presidents with historians and the general public. His personal life has also been the focus of considerable sustained interest following public revelations in the 1970s of his chronic health ailments and extramarital affairs.

Engraver: Gilroy Roberts (GR)

LIBERTY
GR
IN GOD WE TRUST
W
2014

Reverse

Depicts an adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States, surrounded by the country name above and the value below. Mintmark and engraver's initials below the eagle. In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto "E pluribus unum" (Latin for "Out of Many, One"). Over its head is a "glory" with 13 mullets (stars).

The Great Seal of the United States depicts a bald eagle, with a shield and its wings outstretched, holding a bundle of 13 arrows in its left talon (referring to the 13 original states) and an olive branch in its right talon, together symbolizing that the United States has a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war. The eagle has its head turned towards the olive branch, on its right side, to symbolize a preference for peace.

The Great Seal is a principal national symbol of the United States. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself, which is kept by the United States Secretary and more generally for the design impressed upon it. The obverse of the Great Seal depicts the national coat of arms of the United States.

Engraver: Frank Gasparro (FG)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
E PLURIBUS UNUM
FG
• HALF DOLLAR •

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.900
Weight 12.5 g
Diameter 30.61 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mint
West Point Mint (W)

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