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LOVELY FRANKLINS AND KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS

Category:  Toned Coins
Owner:  Old Virginia Boy
Last Modified:  12/18/2023
Set Description

A COLLECTION OF ATTRACTIVE KENNEDY AND FRANKLIN HALF DOLLARS WITH AN EISENHOWER DOLLAR THROWN IN .

Set Goals

MY GOAL IS TO SHARE SOME LOVELY HALF DOLLARS WITH OTHERS WHO ALSO ENJOY A NICELY TONED COIN (SELECT THE SLIDE SHOW). The years of the Franklin Half series and the very earliest coins of the Kennedy series bring waves of nostalgia rolling to mind. I can recall my father allowing me to check his pocket change daily after he arrived home from work. There often times was a Franklin Half, Walking Liberty Half or Standing Liberty Quarter to be found. Ah, those were the days. Perhaps other baby-boomers can also recall those days with fondness. These Franklin & Kennedy Half Dollars take me back to a happy and simpler time.

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin 1965 BUSINESS STRIKE PCGS MS65 Lovely shades of blue/violet United States 50C 1965 PCGS MS 65 PCGS MS 65.
PCGS GOLD SHIELD HOLDER.

A toner collector's delight with all the blue/violet colors going on.
View Coin 1967 business strike NGC MS66 NICE RIM TONING United States 50C 1967 NGC MS 66 NGC MS66 WITH ATTRACTIVE COLOR AND SYMMETRY.

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ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF THIS SET WAS TO ASSEMBLE A COLLECTION OF COINS THAT WERE DIFFERENT AND OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THIS NICELY TONED GEM 1967 KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR IS SHOWN IN KEEPING WITH THAT GOAL . ENLARGE THE PHOTO OF THE OBVERSE SHOT TO SEE SOME NICE RAINBOW TONING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE TOP OF THE RIM.
BUSINESS STRIKES CAN BE SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND WITH ATTRACTIVE COLOR. MANY TONED 1967 COINS ARE DULL AND UNATTRACTIVE. EARTH TONES SEEM TO BE THE PREDOMINENT COLOR FOR TONED 1967 BUSINESS STIKE HALF DOLLARS.
THIS PARTICULAR COIN SHOWS MANY VIBRANT RAINBOW COLORS AROUND THE RIM THAT ARE NOT OFTEN SEEN ON A 1967 KENNEDY HALF. THE BAND OF COLOR TONING AROUND THE RIM HAS A NICE SYMMETRY. SOMEONE WHO HAS BETTER DESCRIPTIVE ABILITIES THAN MINE MIGHT DESCRIBE COLORS SUCH AS TEAL, FUSCHIA ,SEPIA, TANGERINE , SUNFLOWER YELLOW, EMERALD GREEN & MAGENTA .
I ENJOY STUDYING A COLORFUL TONED COIN IN NATURAL LIGHT WITH A LOOP OR MAGNIFYING GLASS. SOME OF THE COLORS CAN BE FASCINATING TO LOOK AT. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THIS PARTICULAR COIN'S SYMMETRICAL TONING DIDN'T GARNER A STAR DESIGNATION, BUT LIKELY PROPELLED IT INTO THE MS66 GRADE.
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SOME OF THE T.V. SHOWS WE USED TO WATCH ON OUR BLACK & WHITE SETS IN1967 WERE:
THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, THE LUCY SHOW, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, GREEN ACRES, THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES AND THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.
IN 1967 WE STILL LISTENED TO AM RADIO AS WE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD IN OUR AUTOMOBILES. THE POPULAR SONGS OF 1967 ARE CONSIDERED GOLDEN OLDIES NOW. AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS INTRODUCED FM RADIOS INTO CARS BEGINNING IN 1963, BUT MOST OF US WOULD CLOSE OUT THE 1960s HAPPILY LISTENING TO AM RADIO. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING AN FM RADIO OR 8 TRACK PLAYER IN A CAR UNTIL THE EARLY 1970'S. MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN.
View Coin Star Kennedy. Proof-like obverse United States 50C 1968 D NGC MS 65 A STUDY OF NGC STAR DESIGNATED COINS.

I am a huge fan of NGC star designated coins. Two seperate coins are depicted above, both certified by NGC as MS65. One was awarded a Star designation. Can you guess which coin was given a Star designation? The answer might be surprising.
NO, THE COLOR TONED COIN ON THE RIGHT WAS NOT GIVEN A STAR. THE COIN ON THE LEFT WAS AWARDED A STAR DESIGNATION FOR IT'S PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE.
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COIN #1 ( COIN at LEFT) - MS65 STAR. At first glance the coin pictured at left looks like a Proof or Special Mint Set coin, with it's mirrored obverse surface. Special Mint Set coins were not produced in 1968, of course. When you look closely and see a Denver mintmark you realize that it is a nice gem business strike that was awarded a star by NGC for it's mirrored and highly reflective obverse. Here is an example of NGC awarding a Star designation to a business strike coin with a Proof-like obverse. A coin must show Proof-like surfaces both obverse & reverse to be awarded the PL ( Proof-like ) designation. NGC treats a Cameo coin the same way. Sometimes NGC will award a Star for a one- sided (almost always the obverse) Cameo coin if the reverse of the coin is not fully frosted. A PL designation might be regarded as rare prior to 1970 in the Kennedy Half Dollar series. For some unknown reason the year 1970 produced more proof-like half dollars than all the previous years of the Kennedy series combined. Even so, those PL coins dated 1970-D are relatively scarce and highly valued by the Kennedy specialist.
The scarcity of these very early business strike Kennedy Half Dollars that have a proof-like finish cannot be overstated. They are in fact non-existant for some early years.
I find it interesting that this MS65 STAR coin is awarded the lowest registry score out of this whole set. According to the NGC census of 1968 business strikes, there are presently only 17 MS65 STAR coins , out of a total population of over 2700 coins graded as MS65. A 1968 Kennedy graded as MS65 STAR is obviously a rare item, yet the price guide and registry scores do not come close to reflecting that rarity. A coin's registry score/price guide value does not necessarily reflect the true rarity of a coin. Such are the frustrations and inconsistencies of collecting coins.
Serious Kennedy Half collectors understand how difficult it is to find any early business strike ( not SMS ) Kennedy with an NGC STAR designation, especially if that STAR designation results from a PL obverse. PL designated half dollars from 1964-1969 are practically un-collectable due to their scarcity or outright non-existance. The few PL designated early BUSINESS strikes out there are mostly salted away in bank safe deposit boxes, probably never to come to auction.
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COIN #2 ( COIN at RIGHT) - NGC MS 65.
Coin on the right is shown in keeping with my goal of providing an example of a nicely color toned business strike coin. This is one of my favorite coins in the set. I am partial to blue toned business strikes . I have always been willing to pay a substantial premium for a nice cobalt blue or blue/violet toned coin. Based on my observations from years of auction sales, I would call this color combination a rarity in a 1968 Business Strike Kennedy. I don't think I could ever replace it.
Sometimes the art of professional coin grading leaves us scratching our heads in wonder. NGC gave this one a straight MS65 grade without a STAR. Go figure.
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1964 NGC MS 62
Here is a case where the modest numeric grade on a slab belies the beauty and eye appeal of the coin in the slab.
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1964 D NGC MS 65 A STUDY OF NGC STAR COINS
Two separate 1964-D coins are shown in keeping with my goal of showing some attractive coins. Both coins are from my collection & both are NGC Star coins. Coin on the right is a reverse mounted coin.
My main goal for this set has been to have a respectable set of coins and to display some coins that are interesting in some way. I didn't want to put together a set that looked like every other set in the registry. I hope that I have met my goal without appearing vain or obnoxious.
Have fun with your coins.
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*** Coin # 1 (COIN ON RIGHT) - MS65 STAR. ***
Vivid neon rainbow colors, reverse mounted coin.
One OF ONLY 11 COINS GRADED MS65 STAR FOR A 1964-D KENNEDY. THAT IS WILD! NGC SHOWS A POPULATION OF ONLY 11 COINS IN MS65 STAR. AMAZINGLY, NGC PRICE GUIDE SHOWS THE VALUE AT ONLY $42.00 ! I WOULD LIKE TO BUY ONE FOR ONLY $42.00 . HA.

*** Coin # 2 ( COIN ON LEFT ) - NGC STAR COIN ***
A different 1964-D NGC STAR COIN. Also color toned & from the Denver Mint.
NGC awarded a Star to this coin. Comparatively speaking, not very many 1964 half dollars have been awarded a Star designation. The graders at NGC seem to favor a half dollar with true full spectrum rainbow toning. This coin displays a deep navy blue on the rims radiating rainbow colors towards the center.
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CONGRESS VOTED TO END THE PRODUCTION OF THE FRANKLIN HALF DOLLAR AND BEGIN THE PRODUCTION OF THE KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR DUE TO THE NOVEMBER 22, 1963 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY. BY LAW , THE FRANKLIN HALF DOLLAR WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE RUN UNTIL AT LEAST THE YEAR 1973 WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF CONGRESS.
THE 1964 KENNEDY HALF WAS THE LAST OF THE TRADITIONAL 90% SILVER HALF DOLLARS. THE SILVER CONTENT WAS REDUCED TO 40% SILVER BEGINNING IN 1965, AND THE SILVER WAS COMPLETELY ELIMINATED BEGINNING IN 1971. THE 1964 KENNEDY HALF WAS THE ONLY KENNEDY TO DISPLAY THE DENVER MINT MARK ON THE REVERSE OF THE COIN.
THE KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS OF 1965, 1966 AND 1967 DISPLAYED NO MINT MARKS AT ALL, REGARDLESS OF WHICH MINT PRODUCED THEM. MINTMARKS RETURNED IN 1968, WITH THE MINTMARKS NOW MOVED TO THE OBVERSE OF THE COIN, WHERE IT HAS REMAINED TO THIS DAY.
MOST KENNEDY HALF COLLECTORS FIND THAT THE DENVER MINTED COINS WERE TYPICALLY BAGGY, WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF NICKS & DINGS ON THE COINS. 1964-D KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS ARE SCARCER IN GEM THAN THEIR PHILADELPHIA MINTED COUNTERPARTS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE DENVER MINT PRODUCED A SMALL NUMBER OF PL (PROOF-LIKE ) KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS, MOST NOTABLY IN 1970.
THE 1964 KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR WAS THE MOST HOARDED COIN IN AMERICAN NUMISMATIC HISTORY. AS A RESULT, THE 1964 KENNEDY IS ESPECIALLY COMMON IN UNCIRCULATED CONDITION, MOST OF WHICH ARE VERY BAG-MARKED. THERE MUST BE HUNDREDS OF BEAUTIFULLY TONED 1964 KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS OUT THERE DUE TO THE HOARDING OF THIS COIN. SOMETIMES A COIN THAT RESIDED IN AN ALBUM FOR DECADES WOULD TONE BEAUTIFULLY.
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THERE ARE SURPRISINGLY FEW (ONLY ABOUT 35 ) STAR DESIGNATED 1964-D KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS CERTIFIED BY NGC AT THIS TIME. THE NGC CENSUS SHOWS ABOUT 35 STAR DESIGNATED 1964-d COINS (TOTAL) OUT OF 13.OOO + COINS CERTIFIED IN ALL GRADES. NGC OBVIOUSLY HAS SET THE BAR VERY HIGH . GIVEN SUCH A LOW POPULATION OF 1964-D BUSINESS STRIKES BEING AWARDED A STAR DESIGNATION, IT WOULD SEEM ANY STAR 1964 KENNEDY HALF BUSINESS STRIKE SHOULD BE A GOOD VALUE AND HIGHLY UNDER-RATED .
I HAVE DEPICTED 2 DIFFERENT 1964-D COINS IN KEEPING WITH THE GOAL OF THIS SET TO DISPLAY SOME NICELY COLOR TONED COINS. ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS OF COLLECTING COINS IS THAT SOMETIMES THE SCARCITY OR CONDITION RARITY OF A COIN IS NOT REWARDED IN THE REGISTRY POINTS OR DOLLAR VALUE ASSIGNED TO THAT COIN. HERE IS A COUPLE OF CASES IN POINT. I'M NOT GRIPING, JUST SAYING . . .
View Coin BLUE & GOLD FIRST YEAR KENNEDY United States 50C 1964 NGC MS 64 BLUE & GOLD KODACHROME KENNEDY.
NGC MS64.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE NUMERIC GRADE ON A SLAB NOT TELLING THE WHOLE STORY.
HERE IS A COLOR TONED STUNNER WITH THE HUMBLE GRADE OF MS64.

COBALT BLUE AND A WARM SHADE OF GOLD. SOME SEA-GREEN , violet and gold can be found. A fun coin to study with the aid of a loop.
A star-worthy coin. This is an end roll coin. I own the coin from the other end of the same roll, and it did win a star from NGC.
View Coin From a WAYTE RAYMOND BOARD United States 50C 1964 D PCGS MS 63 1964-D KENNEDY HALF.
PCGS MS 63 GOLD SHIELD HOLDER.

Two seperate coins are displayed in this slot to show some nice color toning. Both reside in PCGS Gold Shield holders.

COIN ON LEFT - STUNNING COLOR TONED COIN FROM A WAYTE RAYMOND BOARD. THIS COIN IS INTERESTING IN THAT IT SHOWS SO MANY DIFFERENT COLORS, INCLUDING A ROSE SHADE. THE TONES REMIND ME OF AN OLDER 19TH CENTURY TYPE COIN THAT HAS RESIDED IN AN OLDER COLLECTION.

COIN ON RIGHT - AN INTERESTING COIN. SO MANY 1964 HALF DOLLARS WERE HOARDED THAT IT SEEMS 1964 IS THE MOST PROMISING DATE FOR OBTAINING A STUNNING TONER.
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1964 NGC MS 63
STAR KENNEDY.
I like any coin that displays cobalt blue toning. Sometimes that type of toning will progress from a sea green at the edges into a cobalt blue, then fade into a violet tone Someone in the grading room at NGC must have shared the same taste in toning as I do. This coin rated a STAR designation.
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1966 NGC MS 64 Rare 1966 STAR Business strike

A scarce Kodachrome color toned Kennedy business strike combined with a rare proof-like OBVERSE, either of which could merit a STAR from NGC. The obverse surfaces resemble those of a SMS coin. This coin is a BUSINESS STRIKE coin, not a Special Mint Set strike!
This is the only early Kennedy business strike I have ever seen that possessed BOTH a PL ( proof-like ) obverse and a colorful reverse. Truely a 1 in a million occurance. This is perhaps the rarest coin I own, given a rare proof-like obverse combined with an unusually pretty color toned reverese, both of which are deserving of a Star designation. Here is a case where the valuation given the coin doesn't even come close to it's true value & rarity.

MS64 STAR.
A TRUE RAINBOW TONED COIN. Thanks to DM Rare Coins of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania for the accurate color photograph and his professional observations.
Here is a case where a modest grade belies the true beauty and value of a coin.

NGC SHOWS A POPULATION OF 15 STAR COINS IN ALL (BUSINESS STRIKE) GRADES COMBINED FOR THIS YEAR.
View Coin Mouth-watering Toning. United States 50C 1969 D PCGS MS 65 MS65
PCGS GOLD SHIELD HOLDER.

STUNNING BLUE/ VIOLET RIM TONING ON THIS COIN. THE NEON BLUE SHADE IS A TONER COLLECTOR'S DELIGHT.
View Coin A SCARCE KEY DATE TONER United States 50C 1970 D PCGS MS 64 1970-D. The neon blue is a toner collector's delight.

A scarce toner from 1970. These coins were only issued in the government issued MINT sets in 1970, making this low
mintage issue a key date. The cellophane government issued packaging must have done it's job, as nicely toned 1970-
D half dollars are rarer than hen's teeth.
View Coin WILD NEON PROOF BI-CENTENNIAL HALF United States 50C 1776-1976 S CLAD PCGS PF 65 THE NEON '76.
Here is an interesting proof coin. Graded by PCGS as Proof 65, not a very high grade for a modern proof , but the glowing neon toning is very unusual and more than makes up for the low grade . It is very hard to capture the image of a PROOF coin in a photograph. Coin in hand has vivid colors and a neon glow, due to the underlying luster , that the photo is unable to capture.
Although the official price guide reflects a low dollar value, the unusual toning of the coin would command many multiples of that price in an auction.
View Coin Glowing NEON blues United States 50C 1961 PCGS PF 66 PCGS PROOF 66
GOLD SHIELD HOLDER

COIN in hand glows due to underlying luster. The blue takes on a lovely NEON tone that a photo is unable to capture.
View Coin SCARCE toner from BICENTENNIAL Silver MINT Set United States 50C 1776-1976 S SILVER PCGS MS 65 COLORFUL SILVER '76.
MS 65 - PCGS GOLD SHIELD HOLDER.

Scarce Bi-Centennial toner. The airtight government packaging of the silver 3 piece mint sets was probably the main reason we don't find many nice toners from this issue.
These 3-piece SILVER Bicentennial sets , consisting of the Bicentennial Ike dollar, Kennedy half and Washington quarter, were issued in 3 different types of envelopes. One type of envelope depicted a snowy scene of Independence Hall, the other 2 envelope types were red in color. The most desirable envelope was the envelope depicting the winter scene, issued in December 1975.
The government issued packaging was designed to be airtight, resulting in few nicely color toned specimens from this issue. The unique color toning seen on this coin possibly resulted from years of storage in an album, although one will occasionally find a government sealed mint set that somehow contains a toned silver coin.

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I do not collect stamps or envelopes. THIS envelope issued with some of the Bi-Centennial 3 piece silver sets is an exception. I really like this envelope.
I am as much a fan of the winter scene envelope as the coins that the envelope contained. These envelopes date to December 1975 and were obviously aimed at Christmas-time sales. Nostalgia seems to drive my collecting interests more than anything else.
View Coin   United States 50C 1961 PCGS PF 67 CA
View Coin 1971 Ultra Cameo Ike with glowing blue neon perimeter toning. United States $1 1971 S SILVER PCGS PF 69 UC Glowing neon rim toning. Color is cobalt blue that fades into violet. Very vibrant & glowing. It is hard to capture the image of a proof coin in a photograph. Coin in hand is much nicer.
View Coin MOON-SHADOW FRANKLIN United States 50C 1962 PCGS PF 66
View Coin   United States 50C 1965 PCGS MS 65 AN INTERESTING FACT: THE ENTIRE YEAR OF 1965 WAS SPENT MINTING THE 1964 KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR, DUE TO IT'S HIGH DEMAND AND POPULARITY. THE 1965 KENNEDY HALF WAS ACTUALLY MINTED IN 1966, RIGHT UP THRU THE MONTH OF JULY. THESE COINS WERE PRODUCED AT THE DENVER MINT, AND YET THERE IS NO MINTMARK ON THE COIN TO TELL IT.
View Coin   United States 50C 1958 PCGS PF 67 PROOF 67.

BEAUTIFUL RIM TONING OF BLUE, PURPLE AND RUSSETT.
View Coin STAR kennedy. Rainbow toned. United States 50C 1964 D NGC MS 64 POPULATION 6.

NGC IS FRUGAL IN AWARDING A STAR TO A 1964 KENNEDY HALF FOR SOME REASON. AT THE PRESENT TIME THIS IS 1 OF ONLY 6 IN THIS GRADE FOR A 1964-D KENNEDY. MS 64 STAR .
THIS KENNEDY DISPLAYS ALL THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW , WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY EARNED IT THE STAR DESIGNATION.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE OFFICIAL NGC PRICE GUIDE VALUE FOR A MS64 STAR IS $23.00. GOOD LUCK FINDING ONE AT THAT PRICE !!
View Coin EARLY NGC FATTY SLAB United States 50C 1963 NGC PF 67 PROOF 67 - OLD FATTY SLAB. These early NGC slabs are becoming scarcer, as a lot of the coins in these early slabs have been cracked out for re-submission , in hopes of obtaining a higher grade.

NICE DOUBLE SIDED RAINBOW. COIN IN HAND IS VERY ATTRACTIVE.
PHOTO DOES NOT DO THE COIN JUSTICE.
View Coin A SUPER RARITY United States 50C 1970 D NGC MS 62 DPL 2 different coins depicted, in keeping with my goal of depicting a color toned business strike where possible ;

A) coin #1 ( coin on left ) -1970-D (GRADED MS62 DPL BY NGC).

* CRAZY RARE MYSTERY COIN *

** NGC MS62 DPL ; A mystery coin ... **
At first glance this coin appears to be a mis-identified proof coin, with it's DEEP mirrors and highly reflective surfaces. Only when one looks closely and sees the Denver mint mark is it apparent that this is actually a business strike. Extremely rare in DPL, nobody knows how these DPL coins came to be. There are currently only 10 DPL Kennedy Halves graded by NGC from 1964-1970, ALL from 1970. These 10 DPL coins are the characteristically baggy coins from of the Denver Mint and range in grade from MS62-MS64. All 10 of the are thought to have come from the same die pair. It appears that one die pair was polished to an outrageous proof-like glow. It is interesting to note that these 10 specimens received no special handling, but were obviously dumped into bins with other coins, as evidenced by the contact marks.
How and why were these coins created ? Was it due to horseplay ? A bored press operator ? A press operator trying an experiment ? A pair of proof dies intended for the San Francisco Assay office? Perhaps a worn proof die received from the San Francisco Assay office? Were they meant to become presentation pieces ? I Guess we will never know. Pretty fun stuff ! Have fun with your coins.

B)- coin #2 ( coin on right ). In keeping with my goal to assemble some coins that are different from the ordinary & mundane, coin # 2 is a rim toned 1970-D half with colors of blue & violet.
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1966 NGC MS 65 A STUDY OF BUSINESS STRIKE STAR COINS, INCLUDING ONE WITH A RARE PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE.

2 DIFFERENT NGC STAR COINS ARE SHOWN HERE IN KEEPING WITH THE GOAL OF THIS SET. BOTH PHOTOS SHOW THE ACTUAL COINS FROM MY COLLECTION. ONE WAS AWARDED A STAR FOR A PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE, THE OTHER WAS AWARDED A STAR FOR A COLORFUL REVERSE. THESE 1966 STAR COINS ARE ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF THE RAREST COINS OF THIS SERIES, WITH 1966 NGC STAR HALFS SHOWING AN EXTREMELY LOW POPULATION. THEY ALMOST NEVER COME ON THE MARKET.
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A) Coin #1 - COIN ON THE LEFT- MS65 STAR. ** CONDITION RARITY. **
**(low population coin In MS 65 STAR. ) **
NGC HAS ONLY GRADED 15 1966 BUSINESS STRIKES WITH A STAR FOR THIS DATE , ONLY 3 OF THOSE AS MS65 STAR, WHICH MAKES THIS COIN ONE OF THE MOST RARE COINS IN THE SET. THIS COIN WOULD BE VIRTUALLY IR-REPLACEABLE.
At first glance the coin on the left appears to be a Special Mint Set ( SMS ) coin. Look again, because the coin on the left is a business strike ! This coin might be considered ir-replaceable due to the rare (for this date) proof-like surface on a business strike Kennedy.
THE COIN ON THE LEFT RECIEVED A STAR DESIGNATION FOR IT'S REFLECTIVE, PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE. THIS COIN WAS POSSIBLY STRUCK USING A SPECIAL MINT SET DIE FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO ASSAY OFFICE (see NGC EXPLORER ). THERE IS 1 KNOWN 1966 BUSINESS STRIKE GRADED FULL PL. THE COIN PICTURED IS PL ON THE OBVERSE ONLY, HENCE A STAR DESIGNATION INSTEAD OF PL DESIGNATION. ( POPULATION = 3 IN MS65 STAR ).
NGC states in it's NGC EXPLORER comments that it is speculated that the Denver Mint could have received some used SMS dies that resulted in the few rare proof-like coins that exist in business strikes dated 1965-1967. See NGC Explorer.

B) Coin #2- COIN ON THE RIGHT IS GRADED BY NGC AS MS64 STAR. *** CONDITION RARITY*** (Population extremely low in MS64 STAR). A reverse mounted colorful toner, apparently receiving it's Star for the exceptional color toning. On rare occasions a business strike Kennedy might receive a star designation for a proof-like obverse, as in coin #1. Most business strike half dollars awarded a Star were done so because of nice color toning, as shown here on coin #2.
Here is another extremely rare 1966 business strike ( not to be confused with a SPECIAL MINT SET ) with a Star Designation. This is a case where neither the registry points awarded these Star coins , nor the price guide value reflect the true scarcity in this condition and grade. Many of the early business strike Kennedy Halfs awarded a STAR designation by NGC are very rare. Try finding one anywhere !
Perhaps this is the rarest coin in my collection. At first glance one might assume the Star Designation was awarded only for the outrageous COLOR on the reverse of the coin. But on close examination, this coin also has a Proof-Like obverse as well, making it a double rarity. I think it would be difficult to find another business strike coin in this series that is identical to it.

Interesting stuff !
View Coin   United States 50C 1964 NGC PF 66 CAMEO PROOF66 STAR CAMEO.

**** POPULATION RARITY ****

POPULATION IN PR66 STAR CAMEO IS **17 COINS**.


THIS IS A CASE WHERE THE MODEST NUMERIC GRADE ON THE HOLDER JUST DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. FANTASTIC EYE APPEAL ON THIS COIN. STUNNING ULTRA CAMEO OBVERSE.
View Coin   United States 50C 1969 D NGC MS 64 PL A STUDY OF PROOF-LIKE (PL) vs. NORMAL BUSINESS STRIKE COINS.
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THE COIN ON THE LEFT WAS AWARDED A RARE PL DESIGNATION, IT DISPLAYS HIGHLY REFLECTIVE AND MIRRORED SURFACES ON BOTH THE OBVERSE & THE REVERSE OF THE COIN.
A COIN MUST DISPLAY CLEAR REFLECTIVITY AT 2 TO 4 INCHES AWAY FROM THE FIELDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN TO BE AWARDED A PL DESIGNATION. NGC WILL SOMETIMES AWARD A STAR DESIGNATION TO A COIN THAT IS PROOF-LIKE ON ONE SIDE ONLY, USUALLY THE OBVERSE SIDE FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN. PROOF-LIKE (PL) KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND PRIOR TO THE YEAR 1970. THE NGC CENSUS SHOWS JUST A HANDFUL OF PL COINS TO EXIST FOR THE YEARS 1964-1969. IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ASSEMBLE A COMPLETE SET OF 1964-1970 PL COINS, SIMPLY BECAUSE PL COINS DON'T EVEN EXIST FOR SOME OF THE EARLY YEARS IN THE KENNEDY SERIES.
FOR SOME MYSTERIOUS REASON 1970-D KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS SHOW THE GREATEST POPULATION OF PL DESIGNATED COINS OF THE SILVER BUSINESS STRIKES. THESE ARE HIGHLY VALUED & SOUGHT AFTER , AND CANNOT BE CONSIDERED COMMON IN ANY WAY.
SOME COLLECTORS OF THE EARLY KENNEDY SERIES HAVE NOTED THE QUIRKS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MINTS. IN THE CASE OF THE DENVER MINT, THEIR BUSINESS STRIKE HALF DOLLARS SEEM TO BE BAGGY AS A RULE. THOUGH RARE, THE DENVER MINT SEEMED MORE LIKELY THAN ANY OTHER MINT TO PRODUCE A HALF DOLLAR THAT HAD A PROOF-LIKE, REFLECTIVE SURFACE ON A BUSINESS STRIKE COIN.
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COIN #1 ( coin on left )-
** NGC MS64 PL **
A VERY SCARCE PL (PROOF-LIKE) BUSINESS STRIKE. THE NGC CENSUS PRESENTLY SHOWS A TOTAL OF ONLY 30 PL COINS IN ALL GRADES COMBINED FOR 1969. MOST OF THESE ARE SALTED AWAY IN SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES AND WILL NEVER COME TO AUCTION. AT FIRST GLANCE, THE COIN ABOVE RESEMBLES A SPECIAL MINT SET ( SMS ) COIN. BUT THERE WERE NO SMS COINS PRODUCED IN 1969, OF COURSE.
A MYSTERIOUS COIN FOR SURE. PL BUSINESS STRIKES ( NOT SMS ) ARE EXTREMELY SCARCE IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE KENNEDY HALF SERIES. THE SPECIAL MINT SET ( SMS ) COINS OF 1965-67 , ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE REGULARLY FOUND IN A PROOF-LIKE FINISH BECAUSE THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE THAT WAY. ONE RARELY SEES A PL BUSINESS STRIKE COIN COME TO AUCTION FROM THE YEARS 1964 TO 1969.
THE BEST CHANCE OF FINDING ANY PROOF-LIKE BUSINESS STRIKE PRIOR TO 1970 MIGHT BE IN FINDING A ONE SIDED PL COIN THAT WAS GIVEN A STAR. NGC HAS GIVEN A STAR FOR A ONE SIDED PL COIN, JUST AS THEY MIGHT AWARD A STAR FOR A ONE SIDED CAMEO. GOOD LUCK EVER SEEING ONE COME UP FOR SALE.
FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE YEAR 1970 PRODUCED FAR MORE PL SPECIMENS THAN ALL OF THE EARLIER YEARS COMBINED, AND YET EVEN THESE CAN BE HARD TO COME BY AND ARE HIGHLY VALUED BY COLLECTORS.
HOW AND WHY DID THESE FEW PL BUSINESS STRIKES COME ABOUT? WAS A SINGLE PRESS OPERATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE FEW PL SPECIMENS ? WAS HE BORED ? WAS IT HORSEPLAY ? WAS SOMEONE TRYING TO CREATE SOME PRESENTATION PIECES ? WAS HE EXPERIMENTING ? DID THE DENVER MINT RECEIVE A SET OF HIGHLY POLISHED PROOF DIES INTENDED FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE? NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW. WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE. INTERESTING STUFF!
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COIN #2 ( coin on right ) - MS 65 Kennedy, A COLOR TONED KENNEDY. THIS PARTICULAR COIN IS CERTIFIED BY PCGS. THIS COIN WAS INCLUDED IN KEEPING WITH THE GOAL OF DEPICTING SOME ATTRACTIVE OR UNUSUAL COINS . COBALT BLUE TONED BUSINESS STRIKE COINS ARE AMONG MY FAVORITES. BEAUTIFULLY TONED BUSINESS STRIKES LIKE THIS WILL COMMAND A GOOD PREMIUM.
View Coin 1966 SMS Kennedy SCARCE ultra-cameo Obverse. United States 50C 1966 SMS NGC MS 67 ULTRA CAMEO MS67 ULTRA CAMEO
A CONDITION RARITY COIN.

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NGC SHOWS A TOTAL POPLUATION OF ROUGHLY 26,OOO 1966 SMS KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS CERTIFIED IN ALL GRADES ACROSS THE BOARD. OUT OF THAT NUMBER, NGC SHOWS A TOTAL POPULATION OF ABOUT 200 COINS GRADED AS ULTRA CAMEO, IN ALL GRADES COMBINED. THEREFORE THE KNOWN POPULATION OF 1966 ULTRA CAMEO HALF DOLLARS COMPRISE LESS THAN 1 % OF THE TOTAL CERTIFIED POPULATION. ANY 1966 SMS KENNEDY GRADED AS ULTRA CAMEO CAN BE CONSIDERED AS SPECIAL & SCARCE.
THE 1966 SMS KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR OFFERS A LOT FOR THE VARIETY COLLECTOR. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOUBLE DIE VARIETIES AND ALSO THE POPULAR ' NO FG ' VARIETY.
THE ' NO FG ' VARIETY RESULTED FROM SOME OVER ZEALOUS DIE POLISHING OF A CERTAIN DIE OR DIES. THE POLISHING COMPLETELY ERASED THE DESIGNER'S INITIALS FROM THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS VARIETY. THIS IS A POPULAR VARIETY AND COMMANDS A NICE PREMIUM. THERE SEEM TO BE ENOUGH OF THEM OUT THERE THAT A COLLECTOR CAN FIND ONE AT AUCTION WITHOUT TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY. THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR A MUCH LATER VARIETY, THE 1970-D DPL ( DEEP MIRROR PROOF-LIKE ) COINS. THE DPL COINS ARE RARE ENOUGH ( total NGC population is currently 10 ) TO BE PRACTICALLY UN-OBTAINABLE.
View Coin HEAVVVY! CAMEO obverse- RARE for this date. United States 50C 1959 NGC PF 66 CAMEO PROOF 66 CAMEO.

** CONDITION RARITY ** SPECTACULAR ULTRA CAMEO OBVERSE! NGC took an extremely conservative approach to grading this coin.

SPECTACULAR WHITE FROST DEVICES SET AGAINST DEEEEEP 'BLACK HOLE' MIRRORS. THE CAMEO IS ULTRA HEAVY ON THE OBVERSE AND EXTRA HEAVY ON THE REVERSE. PRISTINE SURFACES MAKE THIS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF A 1959 FRANKLIN HALF. STUNNING ULTRA CAMEO OBVERSE MAKES THIS 1959 FRANKLIN ONE OF THE PRETTIEST COINS I HAVE EVER OWNED. EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE GRADE ON THIS COIN! A SERIOUS RE-GRADE CANDIDATE.

MY FAVORITE FRANKLIN. Hey NGC, where's the STAR ?
HOLDER SHOULD SAY ' STAR CAMEO .' KIND OF A NO-BRAINER.



THANKS TO JEFF WERLIN (JW CAMEO ON EBAY) FOR SELLING ME THIS STUNNING EXAMPLE OF A 1959 FRANKLIN.
View Coin 1965 SMS-Kennedy SCARCE ultra-cameo obverse. United States 50C 1965 SMS NGC MS 66 CAMEO MS66 STAR CAMEO.
POPULATION: 33. ( AS OF JANUARY 2019.)

**** POPULATION RARITY. ****
**** CONDITION RARITY ****

ONE OF MY FAVORITE KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS. A STUNNING ULTRA CAMEO OBVERSE WITH DEEP, WATERY MIRRORS. MOST 1965 SMS HALF DOLLARS HAVE SHALLOW MIRRORS, REMINISCENT OF A COMMON BUSINESS STRIKE COIN. STAR CAMEO IS A DESIGNATION UNIQUE TO NGC & I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE FAN OF ANY COIN WITH THIS DESIGNATION.
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THE YEAR 1965 BEGAN THE 3 YEAR RUN OF THE HYBRID SPECIMEN SMS COINS THAT REPLACED PROOF SETS FOR THE YEARS 1965, 1966 & 1967. MANY COLLECTORS MUST HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED TO RECEIVE A 1965 SMS SET, ONLY TO FIND OUT THE HALF DOLLAR OFTEN DID NOT LOOK ANY BETTER THAN A BUSINESS STRIKE COIN. THE QUALITY DID IMPROVE OVERALL IN THE YEARS 1966 & 1967.
SMS COINS DIFFERED FROM PROOF COINS AND REGULAR BUSINESS STRIKE COINS IN MANY WAYS. SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES WERE :
A) SMS DIES RECEIVED MORE PREPARATION THAN BUSINESS STRIKE COINS.
B) SMS DIES RECEIVED LESS PREPARATION THAN PROOF COINS.
C) SMS DIES RECEIVED LONGER USE AND LESS MAINTENANCE THAN A PROOF DIE WOULD HAVE.
D) SMS PLANCHETS WERE NOT BURNISHED AS A PROOF PLANCHET WOULD HAVE BEEN.
E) SMS PLANCHETS WERE NOT DOUBLE STRUCK, AS A PROOF PLANCHET WOULD HAVE BEEN.
F) SMS COINS WERE STRUCK UNDER HIGHER PRESSURE THAN A COMMON BUSINESS STRIKE WOULD HAVE BEEN.
G) SMS COINS WERE NOT INDIVIDUALLY HANDLED, AS A PROOF WOULD HAVE BEEN. INSTEAD, THEY WERE DUMPED INTO BINS WITH OTHER COINS.
Source : The Guidebook of Franklin & Kennedy Half Dollars, by R. Tomaska
View Coin STAR Kennedy United States 50C 1964 NGC MS 64 MS64 Star


I REALLY ENJOY THOSE KODACHROME COLORFUL KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS !
GIVEN SOME OF THE PRICES NICELY TONED MORGAN DOLLARS COMMAND, THIS SERIES CAN BE A BARGAIN IN COMPARISON. I BELIEVE MANY OF THESE COLORFUL EARLY KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS ARE GREATLY UNDERVALUED IN THE MARKET PLACE.


THE PHILEDELPHIA MINT PRODUCED 273 MILLION OF THESE COINS TO MEET THE MASSIVE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR THEM. VERY FEW OF THESE COINS EVEN SAW CIRCULATION. MOST WERE SAVED AND HOARDED.
THE 1964 KENNEDY WAS HOARDED BY COLLECTORS.TO AN EXTENT NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THIS WAS THE ONLY CIRCULATION STRIKE KENNEDY THAT WAS 90% SILVER.

DUE TO THE MASSIVE PRODUCTION AND HOARDING OF THE 1964 ISSUE, NICELY COLOR TONED COINS MIGHT BE FOUND MORE OFTEN THAN COINS FROM LATER YEARS. EVEN SO, NICELY TONED COINS ARE SPECIAL AND SCARCE.

1964 MINT STATE COINS WITH A STAR DESIGNATION ARE RARER THAN HEN'S TEETH, RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COINS GRADED BY NGC FOR THE LAST 30 PLUS YEARS. NGC seems to be a little stingy in awarding a STAR designation to a 1964 business strike for some reason. I guess NGC deems it beneficial to be conservative in issuing grades. If you have an NGC STAR graded early business strike half dollar you had better hang on to it!
View Coin KODA- CHROME KENNEDY United States 50C 1968 D NGC MS 65 A STUDY OF NGC STAR DESIGNATIONS.
ONLY 1 OF THESE 2 COINS WON A STAR. CAN ANYONE GUESS WHICH ONE RATED A STAR?
IF YOU GUESSED THE COLORFUL TONER ON THE LEFT YOU WERE WRONG . THE TONER IS GRADED NGC MS65. THE COIN ON THE RIGHT IS GRADED NGC MS65 STAR BECAUSE OF IT'S PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE.



Coin #1 ( on the left ) -NGC MS65
KODACHROME KENNEDY..
A STAR WORTHY COIN . KIND OF A HEAD-SCRATCHER COIN-WHY NO STAR ON THIS HOLDER ?
ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE PRETTIEST KENNEDY HALF I HAVE EVER BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO OWN. COIN IN HAND ALMOST GLOWS LIKE NEON THANKS TO THE UNDERLYING LUSTROUS SURFACES. GRATEFUL TO BE THE PRESENT CARETAKER OF THE COIN.

Coin #2- ( COIN ON THE RIGHT) NGC MS 65 * STAR. Extremely scarce grade for the early years of Kennedy BUSINESS STRIKE coins.
NICE PROOF-LIKE OBVERSE. All Kennedy half dollars with a proof-like surface are very rare prior to the year 1970.
NGC will sometimes award a Star to a business strike coin that possesses an extraordinarily reflective or proof-like obverse. In the same fashion NGC will give a Star to a one-sided Cameo coin in lieu of a full Cameo designation.
View Coin Nicely toned 1965 Kennedy formerly in the SUNSET COLLECTION. United States 50C 1965 NGC MS 66 One of the goals of this set is to display some coins that are attractive or different in some way. In keeping with that goal, 2 seperate gem 1965 business strike coins are depicted. I am a toner enthusiast and both of these coins are certified gem coins from my collection.
Nicely color toned Kennedy Halfs are much tougher to find in 1965 and later years. It seems that dull russet & earth toned coins are more prevalent than nicely color toned Halfs from 1965 thru 1970. Many toner enthusiasts, such as myself, seek out coins with rainbow tones or blue/violet toning. Any Kennedy Half with rare cobalt blue tones will command a high premium from a toner enthusiast.
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NGC MS 66+ ( a low population coin )
NGC puts the Population of NGC MS 66+ to still be in the single digits at present time.
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For the toner enthusiast 1964 coins are probably the best bet at finding an attractive color toned coin , simply because of the sheer number of 1964 half dollars that were hoarded, many of them stored in albums for years. Sometimes a coin stored in an album long-term could produce beautiful color toning, but an un-attractive dull grey or black tone could also be the result. Some coins that were kept in Raymond Wayte holders produced beautiful toning , but the opposite might also be the result.
The coin depicted at top left displays some of the blue color tones many of us toner enthusiasts prefer. I always liked a business strike with blue/violet toning.
The coin at top right is a reverse mounted coin that displays some interesting color for the toner enthusiast. Some greens & pinks are in the mix, which are very popular with collectors.
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In 1965 we kids watched in black & white as the teenagers danced on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, because nearly everyone owned a black & white set. We also watched Green Acres, Lost in Space, Get Smart , I Dream of Jeannie and The Monkeys. We had all of 3 television channels to choose from in my hometown. In those days you had to go to a movie theater to see something in technacolor. I personally never saw a color television set until around the year 1970.
In 1965 many of our surviving WW1 and WW2 heroes were still with us . They were our fathers and grandfathers. The year 1965 recalls to me a simpler time of peace and prosperity, secured by the courage and character of previous American generations.
When I reflect on these earlier times of my life, I cannot help waxing nostalgic. I know things were never as perfect as we sometimes remember them, but those really were better days for many of us baby boomers.
View Coin   United States 50C 1967 SMS NGC MS 67 ULTRA CAMEO 1967 SMS KENNEDY HALF MS 67 ULTRA CAMEO.

NICE FROSTY EXAMPLE.

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THE QUALITY OF THE 1967 SMS HALF DOLLARS HAD IMPROVED GREATLY OVER THE SMS COINS OF THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. THE YEAR 1967 WOULD MARK THE LAST OF THE SMS SETS, WITH PRODUCTION OF PROOF SETS RESUMING FOR 1968.
ACCORDING TO THE NGC COIN EXPLORE WEBSITE, THE QUALITY OF THE 1967 SMS HALF DOLLARS AT TIMES SURPASSED THE QUALITY OF MANY OF THE 1968 PROOF HALFS TO FOLLOW. I OWN A 1968 GOVERNMENT ISSUED PROOF SET IN WHICH THE HALF DOLLAR EXHIBITS NO FROST AT ALL, AND THAT WAS TYPICAL IN 1968 FOR MOST PROOF SETS. MANY MODERN COLLECTORS, WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO THE HIGH QUALITY OF MODERN DAY PROOF COINS, MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW HOW SPECIAL A CAMEO COIN WAS IN THE 1960's. THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW SPECIAL IT WAS TO FIND AN ULTRA CAMEO COIN IN A PROOF SET PRIOR TO THE MID 1970's . I STILL RECALL THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW A NICELY FROSTED PROOF HALF DOLLAR IN PERSON . IT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME.
WELL, HERE IS A SPECIAL MINT SET COIN THAT PUTS MANY LATER PROOF COINS OF THAT ERA TO SHAME.

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