HALF DOLLAR: COIN OF USA
Half dollar, 1964: United States of America
Among numismatists, the coin is known as KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HALF DOLLAR.
Seal of the president of the United States (design, based on the Great Seal of the United States; the official coat of arms of the U.S. presidency).
50 stars around the heraldic bald eagle representing the 50 states of the USA.
FG under eagle: Frank Gasparro — tenth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, author of the reverse design of this coin.
LIBERTY - IN GOD WE TRUST - 1964: "In God We Trust" — the official motto of the United States of America.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) — American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the youngest person elected president and the youngest president at the end of his tenure.
The obverse design of the coin: Gilroy Roberts (stylized monogram GR under the portrait) — American sculptor, ninth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.
Philadelphia Mint (United States Mint in Philadelphia).
Mintage: 277.254.766.
- Silver (0.900): 30 mm - 12.43 g
- Reference price: 13$
COIN HALF DOLLAR — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1794-...): half dollar = 50 cent = 1/2 dollar
HALF DOLLAR as coin name.
Half Dollar — a US coin equal to 50 cents or 1/2 dollar.
Nowadays, it is almost not used in real money circulation; produced mostly for numismatists.
Less than two decades after the declaration of independence of the USA, silver coins were minted with the edge inscription "Fifty cents or half a dollar". Later, the denomination of such coins was indicated in formats "1/2", "50 c" and "50 cents". In 1838, the wording was transformed. Since then and until now, the coin is called "Half dollar" (before 1892 — "HALF DOL.").
For more than two centuries, a number of varieties have been produced. The main graphic element of most circulating coin types: the bald eagle — the heraldic symbol of the United States.
Up to and including 1964, the half dollar was a silver coin of high purity (90% precious metal). In 1965-1970, the silver content was only 40%. Since 1971, the half dollar is a rather large (over 11 g) copper-nickel coin. In certain periods, silver variants were produced for collectors, and since 2014 — even gold Half Dollar coins.
The name of the half dollar coin, obviously, fully reflects its essence — half a US dollar.
