Gary's 20th Century Type Set
50c KENNEDY COPPER-NICKEL-CLAD (1971-1999)

Owner Comments:

The eagle is a revered bird in many cultures because it is majestic in flight and represents skill, strength, and bravery. The use of the eagle as a national symbol dates back to ancient times and was the emblem of the old Roman Republic. Our founding fathers, fond of comparing their new republic with ancient Rome, adopted the bald eagle as the central device on the obverse of the seal of the United States of America on June 20, 1792. As a result, the Coinage Act of 1792 maintains that the reverse of our silver and gold coins should have a representation of an eagle with the inscription “United States of America”. The reverse of this MS-67, 1987-D Kenney Half Dollar features the “Seal of the President of the United States”, and is a tribute to the late President John F. Kennedy, whose bust appears on the obverse. The seal of the president of the United States has as its central device a bald eagle, much like that of the seal of the United States. Covering the eagle’s breast is a shield with 13 vertical bars representing the 13 original states, united and supporting one horizontal bar representing congress or the union. In the eagle’s right talon is an olive branch with 13 leaves that represents peace. The eagle, by looking towards the olive branch shows that we as the people of the United States prefer peace. Clutched in the eagles left talon are thirteen arrows corresponding to military might. Behind the eagle’s head are thirteen stars and “A Glory” with 13 clouds. The 13 stars denote the 13 original colonies with “A Glory” or rays of light shining through the storm clouds of the Revolutionary War to the dawn of a new republic. In the eagles beak is a banner with the motto “E Pluribus Unum”, which is Latin for “Out of Many One”. Finally, 50 stars signifying our current 50 states encircle the eagle, symbolic of the United States. This 1987-D Kennedy Half Dollar is part of a mint set only issue and has a mintage of 2,890,758.