4 Kennedy Half-Dollar Coins That Are Worth Up to $150K

4 Kennedy Half-Dollar Coins: The Kennedy Half Dollar was first issued in 1964, when the coin was minted to commemorate US President John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The coin was designed to honor his legacy and was well received by the public of the time.

Although more than four billion Kennedy Half Dollar coins were minted, the 1964 Type-1 version, which was made of 90% silver, is considered the rarest and most valuable. Coins from this year and the versions from the few years immediately following it remain of special interest to collectors to this day.

Let’s take a look at some of the rarest and most valuable Kennedy Half Dollar coins, which can sell for millions of dollars today.

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar SP68 (Special Mint Set)

The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar with SP68 grade was part of a specially prepared Special Mint Set (SMS). According to collectors, the quality of these coins is very high.

Only five SP68 coins certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Services) are known to exist to date. Only one of these coins has sold for more than $150,000.

In 2019, a 1964 SP68 coin sold for $156,000 at a Stack’s Bowers auction. While a coin graded SP69 is also known to exist, according to PCGS records, it has no recorded auction.

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar ‘Accented Hair’ PR69

In the world of numismatics, fine details are of particular importance. The early 1964 Kennedy half-dollar coins had some special design elements, chief among them the “Accented Hair” version.

• This version is easily recognizable because
• The curved hair streaks above the coin’s ear are more prominent.

An error can be seen in the lower part of the letter “I” of the word LIBERTY written on the coin.

As of December 2022, the maximum selling price for this coin was $45,600. However, the record reached $46,800 in a Heritage Auctions auction in January 2024.

1968 Kennedy Half Dollar Proof Edition

A special feature of the 1968 Proof Kennedy Half Dollar coins is that they bear the “S” mintmark, indicating that they were minted at the San Francisco Mint.

Prior to 1968, proof coins were only minted at the Philadelphia Mint, but after 1968, coins minted at the San Francisco Mint were considered to be of even better quality.

A 1968 coin with a PF70 Deep Cameo grade sold for $21,600 at Heritage Auctions in November 2017. However, a new record was set in 2023 at a Stack’s Bowers auction, where a PF70 coin sold for $24,000.

1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar – ‘Richard Green Collection’

This coin is a little different from the others, as its toning was particularly striking. It was described as having a “Grateful Dead T-shirt” hue.

This coin was the only known version of the MS68 grade, which sold for $22,325 at an auction by Legend Auctions in February 2018.

The coin was originally estimated to be worth between $10,000 and $11,000, but due to its unique quality and rarity, it sold for twice as much as expected.

Conclusion

The Kennedy Half Dollar is not only an important part of American history but has also become a prized possession for collectors. In particular, the 90% silver versions issued before 1964, the “Accented Hair” design, and special mint sets can sell for thousands to millions of dollars today.

If you have an old Kennedy half dollar, it might be worth checking to see if it’s one of the rarer versions! Who knows, maybe that coin is worth millions of dollars?

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