Owner Comments:
I acquired this coin on 1/21/2007. The Circulation Mintage was 3,082,483 coins. Population 1 of 201 with none higher by NGC as of 1/2007. Evolving from the Franklin half dollar, the Kennedy half dollar is a coin first minted in 1964. This coin was first struck less than a year after the death of President John F. Kennedy in 90% silver in 1964. The following year, this was changed to silver-clad, with the silver content lowered to 40%. The obverse of the coin featuring former U.S. President John F. Kennedy was designed by Gilroy Roberts, and the reverse featuring The Coat of Arms of the President of the United States by Frank Gasparro.However, the half dollar's circulation, aside from use in some casinos, was limited. This is primarily due to two events: the silver crisis of 1963, and the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The value of silver had risen by 1962-63 to the point that it became worthwhile to melt down US coins for their bullion value. U.S. Silver coins (those of ten cent value and above, which contained 90% silver through 1964) began to disappear from circulation, leading the United States to change to layered composition coins made of a copper core laminated between two cupro-nickel outer faces for the 1965 - present coinage years. The Kennedy half-dollar design, however, continued to be minted in a 40% silver-clad composition from 1965–1970. In 1971, the circulation coinage composition was changed a final time, eliminating the silver, and using the copper-nickel clad standard common to the dollar, quarter, and dime.Copper-nickel clad Kennedy Half issues (1971 to date):Weight: 11.34 g Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel.