The Kennedy half dollar is a popular coin among coin collectors and some of them are worth a lot more than their face value. But how do you know which Kennedy half dollars are worth collecting and what to look for when searching for a valuable half dollar?
In this article, we focus on the 1969 Kennedy half dollar value, exploring the value range for half dollars minted this year. We also cover the history of the Kennedy half dollar, the details and description of the coin, and the errors that can raise the value of the 1969 Kennedy half dollars.
1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Details
- Category: Kennedy Half Dollar
- Mints: Denver, San Francisco
- Total mintage: 132,816,531
- Obverse Designer: Gilroy Roberts
- Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
- Edge: Reeded
- Diameter: 30.61 millimeters (about 1.2 inches)
- Thickness: 2.16 mm (0.085 in)
- Weight: 11.5 grams (about 0.4 ounces)
- Composition: 40% Silver – 60% Copper
- Face Value: $0.50
- Melt Value: $3.2537
The Obverse of the 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar
The obverse, which is more commonly called the heads, of the half dollar from 1969 features a portrait of the 35th US President, John F. Kennedy. The portrait faces left and the word ”Liberty”, which is on top of the portrait, is partially hidden under Kennedy’s hair. The design was created by Gilroy Roberts, who was the Chief Mint Engraver at the time.
The phrase ”In God We Trust” is in capital letters and cut in half with the words ”In God” in front of the president’s neck and ”We Trust” behind it. The mint mark D or S is located in the center of the coin below the neck. The mint date is along the bottom rim of the coin.
The Reverse of the 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar
The reverse, which most people call the tails, features the Seal of the United States President. It comprises an eagle with its wings spread. The eagle has a shield on its chest, it holds thirteen arrows in its right talon and an olive branch in the left. It is circled by fifty stars. On top of the coin are the words ”United States of America”.
A dot at either end of the words separates them from the denomination ”Half Dollar” engraved along the bottom rim of the coin. A banner over the eagle’s head has the Latin motto ”E Pluribus Unum” and the designer’s initials are tucked below the eagle’s right leg. Above the banner are nine stars and above the thirteen clouds, matching the number of stripes on the shield.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Money
Value Chart
1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Value Chart |
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| Mint Mark | Good G4 (Circulated) | Fine F12 (Circulated) | MS/PR-63 | MS/PR-64 | MS/PR-65 | |
| 1969 D Kennedy Half Dollar Value | $6.91 | $6.91 | $8 | $20 | $35 | |
| 1969 D Prooflike Kennedy Half Dollar Value | – | – | $100 | $150 | $300 | |
| 1969 S Kennedy Half Dollar Value | – | – | $7.5 | $9 | $10 | |
| 1969 S CAM Kennedy Half Dollar Value | – | – | $9 | $11 | $18 | |
| 1969 S DCAM Kennedy Half Dollar Value | – | – | $10 | $14 | $25 | |
1969 Half Dollar Value and Varieties Guide
1969 D Kennedy Half Dollar Value
- Category: Kennedy Half Dollar
- Designer: Gilroy Roberts/ Frank Gasparro
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: D
- Place of minting: Denver
- Year of minting: 1969
- Face value: $0.50
- Price: $6.91 – $300
- Quantity produced: 129,881,800
There were nearly 130 million Kennedy half dollars minted at the Denver Mint in 1969 and the regular strikes coins are not considered rare. However, because they contain silver, the coins are always worth more than their face value simply for their melt value.
However, coin collectors will not be interested in the melt value of these coins, but rather in what value they have as collectibles. Circulated 1969 D Kennedy half dollars in good or fine condition are worth around $6.91 with the value rising to $20 for MS64 and $35 for MS65 graded coins. Rare, MS67+ graded 1969 D half dollars can be worth around $6,000. The auction record is $15,600 for a MS67 graded 1969 half dollar sold at Heritage Auctions in 2019.
There are also some D minted 1969 half dollars which are ”prooflike” meaning they resemble proof coins in shine and coloration. However, they may not be quite as high-quality as proof coins. The value of PL 1969 half dollars can rise to around $300 for MS65 graded coins.
1969 S Kennedy Half Dollar Value
- Category: Kennedy Half Dollar
- Designer: Gilroy Roberts/ Frank Gasparro
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: S
- Place of minting: San Francisco
- Year of minting: 1969
- Face value: $0.50
- Price: $7.50 – $25
- Quantity produced: 2,934,731
The proof 1969 half dollars minted in San Francisco are available in three varieties which are proof, proof cameo, and proof deep (or ultra) cameo. Because proof coins are made with collectors in mind and not for circulation, nearly all proof coins are in mint state, which is why their prices do not reach the same heights as mint state coins meant for circulation.
The value of PR65 graded coins is around $10 for proofs, $18 for proof with cameo, and $25 for proofs with deep cameo. The cameo refers to an effect on some proof coins which creates almost a two-tone look with a contrast between the raised image and the background. In deep cameo coins, the contrast is more noticeable with the raised image appearing frosted white.
At higher grades, the CAM and DCAM 1969 half dollars can be worth in excess of $100. For example, a PR69 CAM graded coin is worth around $105, while a PR69 DCAM coin can sell for $190 or over. The auction record for 1969 proof Kennedy half dollars from 2021, when a PR69 DCAM was sold for $660 at a Stack’s Bowers auction.
History
Usually, the US Mint has released commemorative coins to mark an anniversary, a milestone, or a special place. The Kennedy half dollar was not intended as a commemorative coin but everyone saw it as such since it was released after his assassination.
The JFK half dollar was released when both the public and the government asked for a coin with his image to be created. It normally takes several years to approve a new coin design, but with the Kennedy half dollar, the process was very quick and the coin was approved and released within weeks.
Because the coins often went straight from the bank into people’s collections rather than into circulation as intended, the banks eventually stopped ordering them. As a result by 2002, the Kennedy half dollars were only produced for collectors. Production of business strikes resumed in 2021 and now they can be seen in circulation again.
The Design Process of the 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar
Because they only had such a short time from idea to production, existing artwork was used in the design of the Kennedy half dollar. The obverse came from a Presidential Medal Gilroy Roberts had designed and Kennedy himself had approved. The reverse, designed by Gasparro, came from the same medal and was adjusted to fit the coin’s dimensions.
The coat, collar, and tie that were part of the portrait on the medal were removed for the obverse of the half dollar for better balance. Meanwhile, to fit the reverse design to the coin, Gasparro removed two torches and a quotation used on the medal. He then centered and enlarged the Presidential Seal, leaving just enough room for the other elements of the reverse.
1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Grading
The 1969 Kennedy half dollars are graded using a scale from 1 to 70. The grades from 1 to 59 are reserved for coins that have been in circulation and range from poor at the lower end to about circulated, meaning they are almost as good as uncirculated coins. Grades from 60 onwards are used for uncirculated coins.
1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Errors
1. 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Planchet Indentation Error
Planchets are metal discs that have no design until they are struck with a coin die. Typically, the feeding of planchets into the striking machinery is carefully monitored. However, sometimes, the wrong planchet ends up in the machinery and results in error coins that are unique and can command very high prices.
In the case of the 1969 Kennedy half dollar, it was indented with a dime planchet. As a result, the obverse design appears obscured. The error did not impact the minting date or the design on the reverse. The number of these error coins is unknown. It is possible there is only one of them. However, in 2020, a 1969 half dollar on a dime planchet sold for $3,840.
2. 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Double Struck Error
Double struck errors happen when a coin that has already been struck once fails to clear the dies and ends up being struck again. The severity of this error varies and on many error coins the degree of error is quite subtle. On others, the error is clearly visible, obscuring part of the image created on the first strike.
There are several 1969 Kennedy half dollars where the error is clearly visible. One example is a coin sold for $3,2220 in a 2007 auction. In this double struck coin, the second strike affected almost 25% of the surface and partly obscured the president’s face. The mint date and mint mark are clearly visible on both strikes.
3. 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Off-Center Error
An off-center error is caused by the planchet not being positioned correctly before it is struck. As a result, the image ends up being off-center and the coin features a partial design. Designs that show the full date are more valuable than those without it or partly obscured date as they are easier to value.
In 2021, a 1969 D Kennedy half dollar was sold for $552. The half dollar is missing a significant portion of the design on both sides of the coin. However, the date is still visible on the coin, which makes it reasonably valuable.
4. 1969 D Kennedy Half Dollar Doubled Die Error
Doubled die errors happen during the hubbing stage and can appear on both the obverse and the reverse of the coin. With the 1969 Kennedy half dollars, there are specimens that show doubled die errors on the obverse and specimens showing them on the reverse.
The doubling is usually most visible on the letters and numbers. For example, you may spot it on the ”TES” of the United States on the reverse of some 1969 Kennedy half dollars, while others may show it on the date.
Doubled die errors are not likely to increase the coins value than, for example, a double struck error. 1969 half dollars with doubled die error on the obverse are worth around $20, while coins with the error visible on the ”TES” on the reverse, are worth around $75 for MS65 graded coins.
5. 1969 Kennedy Half Dollar Repunched Mint Mark Error
Some 1969 half dollars have what is known as repunched mint mark error. On these coins, the mint mark was punched first in an incorrect position and then again in the right position. In a coin graded MS65, this error is likely to raise the coin’s value to approximately $40.
1969 Kennedy Half Dollar FAQs
Are all 1969 half dollars silver?
All 1969 half dollars cointain 40% silver. Initially, the Kennedy half dollars contained 90% silver but the amount has later reduced. The coins from 1969 contain 40% silver as do all the half dollars struck between 1965 and 1969. After 1969, the Kennedy half dollars have been produced using a copper-nickel alloy.
How much is a 1969 half dollar worth in silver?
How much the 1969 Kennedy half dollar is worth in silver varies according to the price of silver. Currently, the melt price is $3,2537.
Hello. I have a 1969 Kennedy half dollar that weighs 12 grams and appears to be 90% silver, my 1964 Half dollar also weighs 12 grams. I cannot find Any info on a 1969 90% silver Kennedy half dollar. Any ideas?