Kennedy Half Dollar · Half Dollars

2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse Proof

Reverse proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 99,932 made

Reverse proof
Mintage
99,932
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.

Copper content10.40grams
Value band: Collector premium

Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.

What is a 2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse Proof worth?

Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.

What would make yours worth more:

  • Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
  • A die variety or minting error
  • Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates

For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.

Quick answers

Is the 2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse Proof rare?
Fairly. The Mint made 99,932 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
Is the 2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse 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 2019 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 2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse proofs were made?
99,932.
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What to check on your 2019-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 2019-P (1.7 million made).
  • Judge the grade under good light. Check the hair above Kennedy's ear and the center of the eagle on the reverse.

The story of the 2019-S

Collector-only production (2002 to 2025)

From 2002 the Mint stopped releasing halves into circulation and struck them only for collectors, sold in rolls, bags and sets. Mintages stayed between about 1.7 and 3.8 million per mint through 2012. In 2014 the Mint marked the 50th anniversary with a 1964-2014 dual-dated gold proof from West Point, 73,772 struck, along with silver versions from all four mints.

Silver proofs switched to .999 fine silver in 2019. Output for collectors rose again after 2020, with Philadelphia striking 30.2 million in 2023. Business strikes of these years are rarely found in change, so most surviving coins are uncirculated, often still in original Mint rolls or packaging. Silver proofs of the 2020s were made in smaller numbers than those of earlier decades.

Elsewhere in US coinage in 2019

The West Point Mint struck quarters with a "W" mint mark for the first time and released them into circulation to encourage people to search their change.

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.

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Mintage chart

Kennedy Half Dollar circulation mintagesLog scale · hover or tap a bar · 1964–2025
1M10M100M

Specifications

SeriesKennedy Half Dollar (1964–present)
Year2019
MintSan Francisco Mint
Mint mark"S"
Strike typeReverse proof
Mintage99,932
Face value50¢
CompositionCopper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
Weight11.34 grams
Diameter30.61 mm
EdgeReeded
DesignerGilroy Roberts (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse)

Other 2019 Kennedy Half Dollar issues

CoinMintageTypeSilver
2019-P Kennedy Half Dollar1,700,000Circulation strike–
2019-D Kennedy Half Dollar1,700,000Circulation strike–
2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof600,594Proof–
2019-S Silver Kennedy Half Dollar Proof412,509Proof0.4074 oz
2019-S Kennedy Half Dollar Reverse Proof99,932Reverse proof–
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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.