1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 15,815,422 made
- Mintage
- 15,815,422
- 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 1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
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.
Quick answers
- Is the 1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar rare?
- Not by date: 16 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar 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 1979 Kennedy Half Dollar?
- On the obverse, below Kennedy's portrait and above the date. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1979 are scarcer?
- The 1982-D at 13,140,102, the 1978-D at 13,765,799. So the 1979-D is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar coins were made?
- 15,815,422.
What to check on your 1979-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1979 (68 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1979-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof (3,677,175 made) is the one to compare with.
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the hair above Kennedy's ear and the center of the eagle on the reverse.
With 16 million made, the 1979-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1979-D
Denver made 15,815,422 in 1979, up from 14 million in 1978. In 1980 the figure was 33 million.
1979 came to 68 million, so neither mint's 1979 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Across Denver's 58 Kennedy Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 2008-D with 1,700,000 made. The 1979-D is one of the easier ones. Within the 1970s it's 4th smallest of 17, between the 1978 (14 million) and the 1977-D (31 million).
Eagle reverse and dwindling demand (1977 to 2001)
The eagle reverse returned in 1977. Halves saw little use in commerce and mintages fell into the tens of millions, then lower. The 1982 Philadelphia issue includes a variety missing Gasparro's FG initials from the reverse. In 1987 no halves were made for circulation; the 2,890,758 coins from each mint went only into uncirculated sets.
Silver proofs in 90 percent silver returned in 1992. A 1998-S matte finish silver half, 64,141 struck, was sold in a set honoring Robert F. Kennedy and is one of the scarcest modern Kennedys. Circulation strikes of this period often show bag marks from handling in large bags. Well-preserved examples of the low mintage dates, such as 1987, are worth seeking. The 1999 Philadelphia run of 8.9 million was also small.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1979
The small Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced the Eisenhower dollar. It was too easily confused with the quarter and saw little use.
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 | 1979 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 15,815,422 |
| 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 1979 Kennedy Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 Kennedy Half Dollar | 68,312,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1979-D Kennedy Half Dollar | 15,815,422 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1979-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof | 3,677,175 | 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.