"President John F. Kennedy served his country well in many ways befroe his tragic assassination in November 1963. It was, therefore, fitting that immediate action be taken to honor him by placing his portrait on a United States coin. The half dollar denomination was chosen because Mrs. Kennedy did not want George Washington's portrait replaced on the quarter. A special law was enacted to change the Benjamin Franklin design, and Mint personnel worked with all haste to produce the new coins for release by February 1964." - Whitman Publishing
Designer: Gilroy Roberts (obverse), Frank Gasparro (standard reverse), Seth Huntington (bicentennial reverse). Weight: 1964, modern silver Proofs, and 2014 silver--12.50 grams; 1965-1970, 1976 silver clad--11.50 grams; 1971 to date, 1976 copper-nickel clad--11.34 grams; 2014 gold--23.33 grams. Composition: 1964, modern silver Proofs, 2014 silver--90% silver, 10% copper (net weight .36169 oz. pure silver); 1965-1970, 1976 silver clad--outer layers of 80% silver and 20% copper bonded to inner core of 20.9% silver, 79.1% copper (net weight .1479 oz. pure silver); 1971 to date, 1976 copper-nickel clad--outer layers of copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) bonded to inner core of pure copper; 2014 gold--99% gold (net weight .75 oz. pure gold). Diameter: 30.6 mm Edge: Reeded Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.
Kennedy Half Dollars 1964 - 2002
Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints
- 1964 , 1963 ( Proof ) , 1964 - D , 1965 , 1966 , 1967 , 1968 - D , ( No Philadelphia in 1968 ) , 1968 - S ( Proof ) , 1969 - D , ( No Philadelphia in 1969 ) , 1969 - S ( Proof ) , 1970 - D , ( No Philadelphia in 1970 ) , 1970 - S ( Proof ) , 1971 , 1971 - D , 1971 - S ( Proof ) , 1972
- 1972 - D , 1972 - S ( Proof ) , 1973 , 1973 - D , 1973 - S ( Proof ) , 1974 , 1974 - D , 1974 - S ( Proof ) , ( Bicentennial: None dated 1975 ) , 1776 - 1976 , 1776 - 1976 - D , 1776 - 1976 - S ( Copper-Nickel Proof ) , 1776 - 1976 - S ( Silver Clad ) , 1776 - 1976 - S ( Silver Clad Proof ) , 1977 , 1977 - D , 1977 - S ( Proof )
- 1978 . 1978 - D , 1978 - S ( Proof ) , 1979 , 1979 - D , 1979 - S ( Proof, Type 1 ) , 1979 - S ( Proof, Type 2 ) , 1980 - P , 1980 - D , 1980 - S ( Proof ) , 1981 - P , 1981 - D , 1981 - S ( Proof, Type 1 ) , 1981 - S ( Proof, Type 2 ) , 1982 - P , 1982 - D
- 1982 - S ( Proof ) , 1983 - P , 1983 - D , 1983 - S ( Proof ) , 1984 - P , 1984 - D , 1984 - S ( Proof ) , 1985 - P , 1985 - D , 1985 - S ( Proof ) , 1986 - P , 1986 - D , 1986 - S ( Proof ) , 1987 - P , 1987 - D , 1987 - S ( Proof )
- 1988 - P , 1988 - D , 1988 - S ( Proof ) , 1989 - P , 1989 - D , 1989 - S ( Proof ) , 1990 - P , 1990 - D , 1990 - S ( Proof ) , 1991 - P , 1991 - D , 1991 - S ( Proof ) , 1992 - P , 1992 - D , 1992 - S ( Proof ) , 1993 - P
- 1993 - D , 1993 - S ( Proof ) , 1994 - P , 1994 - D , 1994 - S ( Proof ) , 1995 - P , 1995 - D , 1995 - S ( Proof ) , 1996 - P , 1996 - D , 1996 - S ( Proof ) , 1997 - P , 1997 - D , 1997 - S ( Proof ) , 1998 - P , 1998 - D
- 1998 - S ( Proof ) , 1999 - P , 1999 - D , 1999 - S ( Proof ) , 2000 - P , 2000 - D , 2000 - S ( Proof ) , 2001 - P , 2001 - D , 2001 - S ( Proof ) , 2002 - P , 2002 - D , 2002 - S ( Proof ) , 3 Unlabeled Coin Slots