What makes a 1964 Kennedy half dollar rare? (Price Chart, Error List, History & Varieties)

The 1964 half-dollar first coin came with a photo of J.F. Kennedy. It was made after the death of a president in 1963, and the US people loved it. The value of the half-dollar Kennedy in average condition will be 10 dollars, and in mint condition, it can be 45 dollars. Here we will cover detailed facts about the 1964 Kennedy half dollar and its value. So let’s get started with what makes a 1964 Kennedy half-dollar rare. (Price Chart, Error List, History, and Varieties)

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Quick Facts

• It was the first coin made that year, with the design made in just 4 weeks.
• It is just one Circulating Kennedy Half Dollar that has a 90 percent silver composition.
• Some 1964 half-dollar coins were made in 1965. In 1964, 273,304,004 coins were made, and with the D mint, 156,205,446 were created.

• Its weight is 11.34 grams and its diameter is 30.6mm.
• Its thickness is 2.15mm and the edge is reeded.
• It is made with the use of 75% copper, 25% nickel, and this composition used from 1971 to the current date.
• 40% silver and 60% copper composition was used from 1965-1970.
• 90% Silver 10% copper composition was used in 1964.1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Value Chart

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar History

1964 Kennedy half dollars were made in remembrance of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. After his death, coins started to be made, and it was decided to circulate them before January 1965. These coins were used as a replacement for Franklin’s half dollar and Washington’s quarter. So in the end, it was decided to replace these coins with the Franklin half-dollar. The front side of this coin was made by the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint, Gilroy Roberts, and a photo of Kenndey was printed on the coins. Frank Gasparro made the backside of the coins. These coins were made with 90% silver and 10% copper. Due to the high demand for these coins, there were 273,304,004 coins dated 1964 and 156,205,446 dated 1964-D from the Denver Mint. When the price of silver goes high, the Mint reduces the 90% half-dollar coins by 1965 and makes changes in composition to 40% silver and then 75% copper and 25% nickel.

1964 No Mint Half Dollar Value

There were P and D mints that made the 1964 Kennedy half dollars. P.M. made 273,304,004 coins, and their value in circulated condition is about $6.50 without any damage, and in good condition, the value will be $25.

More than 273 million coins were made at P.M., but only 87,448,004 were struck in the year, and the remaining were minted in 1965 and 1966 with the same date as 1964. But there are now very few coins that exist, and in circulated conditions, their value is $6 to $11.50. MS67+ grades can have a value of $5,200.

1964 D Half Dollar Value

1964 Kennedy half dollars made Denver Mint have the D mint mark on the back side below the olive branch at the right talon. Their value can be 6.50 dollars in circulated condition and $26 in good condition. 144,411,608 Kennedy half dollars in 1964 by D. Mint, and others made in 1965. These coins are rare for less than AU-50. The coins with a grading of MS66 are rare and of high value.

• Their value in circular condition is $6 and $11.50.
• Uncirculated conditions value $55 to $23,500.
• 1964-D half-dollar with MS68 grade sold for $22,325 in 2016.

1964 Proof Kennedy Half Dollar Value

There were four million proof Kennedy Half dollars made in 1964 by P.M. These coins come with shiny surfaces with Kennedy’s photo on the backside. These coins also do not have a mintmark since they were made at P.M.

There were 3,950,792 coins made, and just 100,000 coins had full hair on a photo of the president. The proof coins also have three further subtypes according to cameo contrast: a cameo, no cameo, and deep cameo. Their prices are

• Non-cameo: PR60 graded $10 and $42 for PR67 grades. For PR70, their value can be $3,750.
• cameo: Their value will be PR60 grade 14 dollars and PR66 60 dollars. The above PR68 value will be between $3000 and $5,400.
• Deep Cameo: PR66 graded value is $100, PR67 grade is $200, and PR68 grade prices will be $19,975.

1964 SMS Half Dollar Value

These are special types of 1964 Kendy half dollars since they do not come with a mintmark. The coins also have good strikes and smooth finishes that attract collectors. These coins are like the proof set on the back side but do not have hair that looks like the proof set coins. There are just 6 1964 SMS coins graded in NGC, and 12 are in PCGS. High-value SMS Kennedy half a dollar is graded SP68,156,000.

1964 Kennedy Half-Dollar Error List

1964-D Double-Die Obverse Error

This error is caused when a die strikes a silver planchet two times. There will be a doubling effect on the word “In God, We Trust” and some of the coins. Coins with errors in 2021 were sold for $129.99.

Double Die FS-502 Error

The error can be seen on the mint mark D that is repunched over the real mint. With that, the Double Die FS-502 also has visible traces of two impressions below the coins.

Quadruple Die Obverse Error

It is also called FS-105. It is a very important error in the 1964 Kennedy. The quadrupling effect can be seen in the U letter of IN GOD WE TRUST and in number 4 of the coin date.

1964-D/D Re-Punched Mint Mark

If the punch used for punching the mint mark left many impressions over the cons, this error comes with having a double mint mark. The cons of this error can have a value of $400 for MS66 grades.

1964 Kennedy Half-Dollar Features

1964 Kennedy Half-Dollar Front Side

On the front side of these coins, there is a photo of J.F. Kenny’s president. There is the word liberty mentioned on the upper front of the coin. The motto In God We Trust is also on this side of the coin. The production year is also written below the coins.

1964 Kennedy Half-Dollar Reverse

On the back side of the coins, there is JFK’s presidential seal, and the reverse side is also called the tail. A heraldic eagle has wings spread out and a shield on the bird’s chest. Scroll over the eagle’s head and hold its beak. The word E PLURIBUS UNUM is written on the scroll. There are 13 arrows and olive branches in the right talon. The arrow is a symbol of war, the branches represent peace, and the shield shows the role of the president in protecting the country from enemies. There are 50 close to the eagle, which denotes 50 states. The word United States of America is on the coin.

Why Did the U.S. Mint Make So Many 1964 Kennedy Half Dollars?

In 1960, the high cost of silver insisted people save as many coins as they could. I reduced the silver-made coins. So the growing demand for coins resulted in an increase in manufacturing. There were 430 million Kennedy silver half dollars made in 1964. So coin collectors started to store these coins, and they became less popular for circulation. So the government reduces the production rate. and reduces the use of silver from 90% to 40% by passing a law.

The Common Mystery of the 1964 SMS Kennedy Half Dollar

SMS” Kennedy is a very rare type of 1964 Kennedy half a dollar. Since tier mintage is not unknown, They have sharp strikes and good finishes. It has die-polish lines on files without any contact marks, which means they are made carefully. These coins also do not have accented hair dies but have older reverse die designs. There are 6 coins of this type in NGC, and 12 are in PCGS. In action in 2019, prices were $156,000 for the SP68 grade. There is another type of 1964 find that is considered part of this, made by M. Mint.

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Faqs

What is the most valuable 1964 Kennedy half-dollar?

Rarest 1964 Kennedy half dollar is “SMS” Kennedy that is high value.