1964 Kennedy Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 273,304,004 made
- Mintage
- 273,304,004
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.61 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3617 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
The 1964 Kennedy half is 90% silver and was the only Kennedy half struck for circulation in that alloy.
Quick answers
- Is the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar rare?
- No. With 273 million made, it's one of the most common Kennedy Half Dollars.
- Is the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, near the eagle's claw holding the olive branch. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1964 are scarcer?
- The 1965 at 65,879,366, the 1966 at 108,984,932. So the 1964 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar coins were made?
- 273,304,004.
What to check on your 1964
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the edge. A 1964 coin shows solid silver all the way through, while clad coins from 1965 on show a copper-colored stripe. A clad coin with a 1964 date would be a major error.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Proof (3,950,762 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the hair above Kennedy's ear and the center of the eagle on the reverse.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1964
1964 was the first year of the Kennedy Half Dollar. Philadelphia struck 273,304,004 of them. The next year it made 66 million (1965).
1964-D came to 156 million, so neither mint's 1964 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Philadelphia struck the Kennedy Half Dollar in 58 issues between 1964 and 2025. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 2008-P (1,700,000). Within the 1960s it's 6th smallest of 7, between the 1968-D (247 million) and the 1967 (295 million).
The 90 percent silver memorial issue (1964)
Congress authorized the Kennedy half dollar in December 1963, weeks after the assassination. Gilroy Roberts adapted his presidential medal portrait for the obverse and Frank Gasparro designed the reverse based on the presidential seal. The coins were released in March 1964 and vanished from circulation almost at once as people kept them as mementos.
Philadelphia struck 277,254,766 and Denver 156,205,446, with 1964-dated halves still being made into 1965. This is the only circulating Kennedy half struck in 90 percent silver. Nearly four million proofs were made. The Accented Hair proof, struck from early dies with sharper hair detail, is the key variety of the year. Worn 1964 halves are still found and are worth their silver content. Uncirculated rolls are common because so many were set aside.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1964
The Kennedy half dollar was introduced months after President Kennedy's assassination. It was the last year of 90% silver dimes, quarters and halves. The Mint kept striking 1964-dated silver coins well after the year ended to fight a national coin shortage.
How to recognize it
Gilroy Roberts' portrait shows John F. Kennedy facing left with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST below and the date at the bottom. The reverse, by Frank Gasparro, is based on the Presidential seal: an eagle holding arrows and an olive branch surrounded by a ring of 50 stars. The mint mark was on the reverse in 1964 and has been below Kennedy's neck since 1968.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Kennedy Half Dollar (1964–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1964 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 273,304,004 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.61 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | Gilroy Roberts (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
Other 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar | 273,304,004 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Proof | 3,950,762 | Proof | 0.3617 oz |
| 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar | 156,205,446 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: Kennedy half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.