1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,612,568 made
- Mintage
- 2,612,568
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 11.34 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 1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A known variety for the date: 1974-D Doubled Die Kennedy Half Dollar
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 2,612,568 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Halves dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1974 Kennedy Half Dollar?
- On the obverse, below Kennedy's portrait and above the date. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar proofs were made?
- 2,612,568.
What to check on your 1974-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1974-D (79 million made).
- Look for the 1974-D Doubled Die Kennedy Half Dollar (it's on Denver coins, not this one).
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the hair above Kennedy's ear and the center of the eagle on the reverse.
Proofs from 1974 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 1974-S
Copper-nickel clad and the bicentennial reverse (1971 to 1976)
Silver was dropped in 1971 and the half took the same copper-nickel clad composition as the dime and quarter, weighing 11.34 grams. Philadelphia returned to half dollar production that year. Denver struck more than 302 million in 1971. A 1974-D doubled die obverse shows clear doubling in IN GOD WE TRUST.
No halves are dated 1975. Coins struck in 1975 and 1976 carry the dual date 1776-1976 with Seth G. Huntington's view of Independence Hall on the reverse. San Francisco made 40 percent silver versions for collector sets in addition to clad proofs. Bicentennial halves were struck in enormous numbers, more than 520 million for circulation, so they remain common. Collectors seek the silver versions and sharp uncirculated clad coins.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1974
With copper prices rising, the Mint struck experimental aluminum cents dated 1974. Nearly all were destroyed and they were never issued.
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 | 1974 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 2,612,568 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 11.34 grams |
| Diameter | 30.61 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Gilroy Roberts (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
Other 1974 Kennedy Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 Kennedy Half Dollar | 201,596,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-D Kennedy Half Dollar | 79,066,300 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof | 2,612,568 | Proof | – |
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.