Of all the monuments and memorials to our assassinated president that appeared after that fateful day in November of 1963, it is interesting to note that one of the most humble, the Kennedy Half Dollar, may be the longest lasting, given the longevity and durability of American coinage. In the midst of widespread national mourning, the U.S. Mint made the decision to honor the fallen president by replacing the Franklin Half Dollar with a new issue featuring Kennedy’s likeness, and, remarkably, within five days of the assassination the design was complete. The Kennedy Half Dollar was prepared by Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts and Assistant Engraver Frank Gasparro, with each man responsible for one side of the new coin. Roberts based the portrait bust of Kennedy that appears on the coin’s obverse on a presidential medal he had previously completed. Gasparro’s reverse is a depiction of the Presidential Seal of the United States. Both men worked ceaselessly to finish the design within days of its commission in order to offer the American public a lasting memorial to its slain leader.
Kennedy Half Dollars were minted in a silver clad version from 1965-1970 in Philadelphia (no mintmark), San Francisco (“S” mintmark), and Denver (“D”), and in 1976 in San Francisco. They are composed of 40% silver yielding 0.14792 troy ounces of pure silver per coin, and measure 30.6mm in diameter. Though not officially designated as bullion coins, these 40% silver coins are, in fact, valued and traded for their bullion content. Clad Kennedy Half Dollars are sold in assorted face value bags which offer the investor an affordable, convenient, and easily divisible means of owning silver with a built-in guarantee: no matter what eventually happens to the price of silver, 40% silver coins will always be worth at least their face value. For this reason alone, clad Kennedy Half Dollars are highly appropriate as a hedge against more volatile investments.