Half dollar (United States coin)
Half dollar coins have been produced nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794. Sometimes referred to as the fifty-cent piece, the only U.S. coin that has been minted more consistently is the cent.
Circulation
Half dollar coins saw heavy use, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century. For many years, they were commonly used in casinos. Rolls of half dollars may still be kept on hand in cardrooms for games requiring 50-cent antes or bring-in bets, for dealers to pay winning naturals in blackjack, or where the house collects a rake in increments of 50 cents (usually in low-limit seven-card stud and its variants). Some slot machines also took in, and paid out in, 50-cent pieces; however, casinos in recent years have phased in "coinless" slots for all denominations, taking in paper dollars, and paying winners through vouchers.
By the early 1960s the rising price of silver was nearing the point where the bullion value of United States silver coins would exceed face value. In 1965, the U.S. introduced layered composition coins made of a copper core laminated between two cupro-nickel outer faces. The silver content of dimes and quarters was totally eliminated, but the Kennedy half dollar composition still contained silver (reduced from 90 to 40 percent) from 1965 to 1970.
The 1964 Kennedy halves were massively saved out of circulation for sentimental reasons. Those issued through the end of the 1960s were hoarded as the only precious metal U.S. coins remaining in production, and as the price of silver continued to rise, pre-1964 halves disappeared from circulation as well. By the time that the coin's composition was changed to match that of the clad dimes and quarters in 1971, both businesses and the public had adapted to a country in which the half dollar did not generally circulate. The quarter took over the half's role as the highest-value component of change.
Most coins enter circulation through the change drawers of businesses. Few businesses stock their change drawers with half-dollars, and many banks do not stock these coins or hand them out as normal business practice, so the coins do not see much circulation.
Most U.S. vending machines do not accept half dollars, nor do payphones, which further curtails its circulation; however, American sleight of hand magicians specializing in coin magic prefer the half dollar for its size and weight, and it is the most common denomination used for U.S. commemorative coins.
In recent years half dollars have been minted only for collectors, due to large Federal Reserve and government inventories on hand of pre-2001 pieces, this mostly due to lack of demand and large quantity returns from casino slot machines that now operate "coinless". If and when the reserve supply runs low, the mint will again fill orders for circulation half dollars. It took about 18 years (1981–1999) for the large inventory stockpile of a similar low demand circulation coin, the $1 coin, to reach reserve levels low enough to again produce circulation pieces. Modern-date half dollars can be purchased in proof sets, mint sets, rolls, and bags from the U.S. Mint, and existing inventory circulation pieces can be ordered through most US banks. All collector issues since 2001 have had much lower mintages than in previous years. Although intended only for collectors, these post-2001 half dollars sometimes find their way into circulation.
History
- On December 1, 1794, the first half dollars (approximately 5,300 pieces) – were delivered. Another 18,000 were produced in January 1795 using dies of 1794, to save the expense of making new ones.[1]
- Due to the high production of half dollars from the 1790s, another 30,000 pieces were struck by the end of 1801. The coin had the Heraldic Eagle, based on the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse.[1]
- One of the great mysteries of half dollars was the 150,000 that were minted in 1804 without one specimen known to exist. The coinage of 1804 was struck with dies from 1803, accounting for the confusion.[1]
- In 1838, half dollar dies were sent to a branch mint for the first time, when 20 were struck at the New Orleans Mint. This 1838-O coin is the greatest rarity among US half dollars, with two separate specimens having sold for $632,500 in Heritage auctions, in 2005 [2] and 2008 [3] respectively. The following year this mint produced nearly 180,000 half dollars.[1]
- In 1861, the New Orleans mint produced coins for three different governments. A total of 330,000 were struck under the United States government, 1,240,000 for the State of Louisiana after it seceded from the Union, and 962,633 after it joined the Confederacy. Since the same die was used for all strikings, the output looks identical. However the Confederate States of America actually minted four half dollars with a CSA (rather than USA) reverse and the obverse die they used had a small die crack. Thus "regular" 1861-O halves with this crack probably were used by the Confederates for some of the mass striking.[4]
- There are two varieties of Kennedy halves in the proof set issues of 1964. Initially, the die was used with accented hair, showing deeper lines than the president's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, liked. New dies were prepared to smooth out some of the details. It is estimated that about 1–3% (40,000–100,000) of the proof halves are of the earlier type, making them somewhat more expensive for collectors. [5]
Designs
- Silver half dollars
- Flowing Hair 1794–1795 [6]
- Draped Bust 1796–1807
- Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796–1797 [7]
- Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1801–1807 [8]
- Capped Bust 1807–1839
- Capped Bust (Large Size), With Motto 1807–1836 [9]
- Capped Bust (Small Size), No Motto 1836–1839 [10]
- Seated Liberty 1839–1891
- Seated Liberty, No Motto 1839–1866 [11]
- Seated Liberty, With Motto 1866–1891 [12]
- Barber 1892–1915 [13]
- Walking Liberty 1916–1947 [14]
- Franklin 1948–1963 [15]
- Kennedy 1964 (General circulation issue) [16] (the last 90% silver half-dollar for circulation, contains 0.36169 oz. net silver per coin, or 7.234 oz. silver per roll)
- Kennedy 1992–present (silver proof sets available)
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- 40% silver half dollars
- Kennedy 1965–1969
- Kennedy 1970 (collectors sets only)
- Kennedy 1976 (only collectors sets produced with 40% silver)
- Copper-nickel clad half dollars
- Kennedy 1971–1974, 1977–1986, 1988–2001 (general circulation issues)
- Kennedy 1987, 2002–present (collectors only)
- Kennedy Bicentennial 1975–1976 (all dated 1776–1976.)
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References
- ^ a b c d Julian, R.W. (December 2006). "All About the Half Dollar". Numismatist Magazine 119 (12): 38.
- ^ [1] Proof-64
- ^ [2] Proof-63
- ^ The SS Republic Shipwreck Project: the Coin Collection, p.23
- ^ What exactly is an Accented Hair Kennedy?
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1794–95 Half Dollar Flowing Hair". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cflowh.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1796–97 Half Dollar Draped Bust Small Eagle". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50csmeag.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1801–07 Half Dollar Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cheral.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1807–36 Half Dollar Capped Bust Lettered Edge". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cbust.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1836–39 Half Dollar Capped Bust Reeded Edge". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50creedg.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1839–66 Half Dollar Seated Liberty No Motto". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cnomot.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1866–91 Half Dollar Seated Liberty With Motto". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cmotto.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1892–1915 Half Dollar Barber". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cbarbr.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1916–47 Half Dollar Walking Liberty". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cwalkr.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1948–63 Half Dollar Franklin". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50cfrank.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ NGC Photo Proof (1994). "1964 – Half Dollar Kennedy". CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. http://coinsite.com/CoinSite-PF/pparticles/50ckenn.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-13.