Since the primary problem was quickly solved, Congress passed the legislation, Lyndon Johnson supported it, and the minting of the half-dollar with the tragically assassinated President started immediately. The same thing was done with Frank Gasparro’s work intended for the appreciation medal reverse.
Since there was no time for new creations, Gilroy Roberts’ idea for an appreciation medal design was used as the new coin obverse. One of the reasons was Jacqueline Kennedy’s attitude that no one should replace George Washington on the coin obverse. The US Mint considered placing JFK on the silver quarter, dollar, or half-dollar, but the last option had the most supporters. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, was the cause of quick half-dollar minting with the new design. You can recognize pieces from regular strikes and those from Special Mint Sets, both minted in Philadelphia. After that, all halves contain copper and nickel, without a precious metal.Īs expected, the 1967 half-dollar value is always above these coins’ face value, while some can be surprisingly expensive. Those struck in 1967 are noteworthy because they are in a short-lasting group of silver-clad coins minted from 1965 to 1970.
The US Mint started minting silver Kennedy half-dollars in 1964, honoring the assassinated President.