Ned Ludd Coins » 1972 Half Dollar Value: are “D”, “S”, No mint mark worth money?

1972 Half Dollar Value: are “D”, “S”, No mint mark worth money?

On average, a 1972 half-dollar already in circulation is valued between $0.5 to $0.6. However, particular pieces with rare errors and a higher grade can fetch more than a thousand dollars.

Although you can find several half-dollar categories like the Barber, Walking Liberty, and the Franklin half-dollar, each with varying value and rarity, in this post, we’ll be covering the 1972 half-dollar value, get you familiar with the rich history of the coin carries, and aid you in determining the average value of a 1972 silver Kennedy half dollar.

1972 Half Dollar Details

1972 Half Dollar Details
Image Credit: usacoinbook
  • Composition: Copper-nickel clad
  • Weight: 11.34 grams
  • Face Value: $0.5
  • Mint Mark: No mint mark, S and D
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Diameter: 30.6 mm
  • Fineness:0.9
  • Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
  • Category: Kennedy half dollars
  • Obverse Designer: Gilroy Roberts
  • Year of Minting: 1972
  • Mint: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
  • Price: $0.5 to $15
  • Mintage: 298,330,996

Obverse Design

The obverse side of the coin has a striking portrait of the 35th President of the USA, John F. Kennedy. His portrait was first used in 1964. The legend Liberty is written around the rim of the coin, starting from the lower bottom to the lower right on the opposite edge.

The phrase In God We Trust is also struck on the sides of the neck. On the bottom, you’ll see the year in which the coin was minted. This obverse side of the half dollar was crafted by Gilroy Roberts in 1964, as a parting gift when retiring as a chief engraver.

Reverse Design

The reverse side of the half-dollar depicts a seal showing an eagle with an olive branch in one claw and thirteen arrows in the other. A shield covers the bird’s chest, and exactly 50 stars encircle the seal. Thirteen more stars are present in the seal’s inner part, from which light rays emerge.

A ribbon over the head of the eagle says E Pluribus Unum, whereas the upper half rim of the coin says the United States of America, starting from left to right along the edges. The legend Half Dollar is also written on the coin’s bottom rim. The seal also portrays thirteen small puffs of cloud over the head of the eagle.

The reverse side designer was Frank Gasparro, a chief mint engraver whose initials, FG, can be seen near the suitable lower edge of the coin. Lastly, two dots are present between the legends on the right and left sides.

1972 Half Dollar Value Chart

Mint Mark Good Fine Extremely Fine Uncirculated Mint State
1972 Half Dollar No mint mark $0.50 $0.5 $0.6 $2.28 $2.4
1972 S Half Dollar $0.50 $0.50 $0.60 $2.3 $5.7
1972 D Half Dollar $0.50 $0.50 $0.56 $2.3 $15

1972 Half Dollar Value and Varieties Guides

With a diameter of 30.61 mm and a thickness of 2.16 mm, the half-dollar is the biggest coin issued from the US treasury. The half-dollar series has seen a lot of composition changes. In 1964, the half dollars were made with 90% silver and 10% copper, from 1965 to 71, the composition was again changed to 60% copper and 40% nickel. However, in 1972, 91.7% copper and 8.3% nickel were used.

Let’s review the 1972 half-dollar varieties and their proposed value.

1972 Half-Dollar No Mint Mark Value

1972 Half-Dollar No Mint Mark Value
Image Credit: mintproducts
  • Year of Minting: 1972
  • Mint Mark: No mint mark
  • Type: Kennedy Half Dollars
  • QuantityProduced: 153,180,000 
  • Diameter: 30.6 mm
  • Place of Minting: Philadelphia
  • Mass: 11.34 grams
  • Price: $0.5 to $15+
  • Face Value: $0.5
  • Edge: Reeded

The 1972 no mint mark half dollar was minted in the Philadelphia mint and composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. A total of 153,800,000 coins were minted at the time. The coins minted in Philadelphia don’t have a mint mark and have 150 reeds on the coin’s edges. Although over 150 million half dollars were minted that year, most ended up in the hands of hoarders who later melted the coins.

Therefore, these half dollars are rare, especially the graded pieces. While most 1972 half dollars without a mint mark sell worth their face value, the coins in pristine condition (MS 67 or above) are worth $1000 and even more for higher grades.

1972 D Half-Dollar Value

1972 D Half-Dollar Value

  • Mint Mark: D
  • QuantityProduced: 141,890,000
  • Face Value: $0.5
  • Mass: 11.34 grams
  • Year of Minting: 1972
  • Diameter: 30.6 mm
  • Place of Minting: Denver
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Price: $0.5 to $3
  • Type: Kennedy half dollars

The Denver mint produced 1972 half dollars with a D mint mark. The mint produced 141,890,000 coins, less than the Philadelphia mint.

Although the coin in varying conditions sells from fifty cents to a few dollars, the coin’s without the designer’s initials on the reverse side are worth a lot more. One 1972 half-dollar without the FG initials was sold for $2485, whereas an MS 64+ coin was sold at $7500.

1972 S Half-Dollar Value

1972 S Half-Dollar Value

  • Face Value: $0.5
  • Diameter: 30.6 mm
  • Quantity produced: 3,260,000 
  • Mint Mark: S
  • Place of Minting: San Francisco
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Price: $0.5 to $7
  • Year of Minting: 1972
  • Type: Kennedy half dollars
  • Mass: 11.34 grams

The San Francisco mint in 1972 only produced proof half dollars and the amount was 3,260,996 and had an S mint mark. The proofs are always minted on burnished planchets that have a mirrored finish to provide that extra crisp detailing and shine.

The first 50 to 100 coins also had the cameo effect where the coin finish has intense contrast and the outline looks sharp. A 1972 S half dollar with a PR 65 grade is worth $5.7, whereas a 1972 S with a PR 69 rating and the cameo effect sell for more than $125.  

Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Money

1972 Half-Dollar History

The half-dollar series has seen several designs and composition changes over time. The first half dollar was minted in 1964, authorized by Congress a month after JFK’s death. The coin was intended as a memorial to the assassinated president.

The front side of the coin was designed by Gilroy Roberts, whereas Frank Gasparro crafted the back side of the coin. As the composition of 1964 was 90% silver, people started hoarding the silver dollar and melted it to obtain the precious metal.

In 1971, silver was removed from the composition, and replaced with copper. The production of Kennedy half dollars for circulation was halted back in 2001. The half dollars minted from 2002 to 2020 were minted for collectors and were sold at a premium price by the mint. The minting of the Kennedy half dollar started again in 2021 for circulation.  

1972 Half Dollar Grading

Several grading systems and services are used by collectors and coin traders to determine its true value. Grading allows you to evaluate the coin in detail and determine a universally accepted value. Here’s how you can examine your coin, determine its grade, and know the coin’s worth.

1972 Half-Dollar Errors

Before throwing away a weird-looking coin, think twice, as various 1972 half-dollar errors can increase the value of the coin manifolds. Let’s read about some common errors in 1972 half dollar.

1. 1972 Half Dollar Struck On Penny Planchet

1972 Half Dollar Struck On Penny Planchet
Image Credit: coins.ha

The half dollar is the biggest circulating coin ever minted and is bigger in size than the penny. The half dollar is also more in weight than the penny. This error occurs when the half dollar is struck using a planchet to make pennies. The half-dollar minted on a penny planchet will have an off-center image, whereas the coin will be lighter and smaller.

2. 1972 Half Dollar Double Die Obverse

1972 Half Dollar Double Die Obverse
Image Credit: pcgs

During the minting process, if the die shifts during hubbing, doubling of the font and outline becomes evident. You’ll see two outlines that can be identified on the legends written on the obverse side.

3. 1972 Half Dollar Struck On Five Cent Planchet

The 1972 half-dollar and 1972 nickel have similar compositions and visual appearances. This similarity in appearance can result in the minting staff picking a smaller but similar-looking planchet.

When a half dollar is struck on a smaller five-cent planchet, it will be the same color but have a diameter of 21.2 mm compared to 30.61 mm. The half-dollar punch on the small planchet will also be off-center.

4. 1972 Half Dollar Clad Layer Missing

1972 Half Dollar Clad Layer Missing

While the outer layer of the coin is a mix of 75% copper and 25% nickel, the inner layer of the half-dollar is pure copper, making the final composition of the coin 91.7% copper and 8.3% nickel. In this half-dollar error, the outer layer of the coin containing nickel is missing, resulting in the coin resembling an oversized penny.

5. 1972 Half Dollar Struck on 25-Cent Planchet

It’s a similar error where a wrong planchet was used to make the half dollar. These coins appear way off-center and have the wrong denomination.

6. 1972 Half Dollar Off-Center Strike

To make a detailed outline, the coin is struck multiple times. However, an off-center image is imprinted if the hub, die, or planchet is misaligned or hits at the wrong angle. You’ll see two, three, and in some cases, four outlines which are barely separable, and the image that’s off-center. The more the image is printed off-center, the higher the coin’s value will be.

7. 1972 Half-Dollar Clipped Planchet

This error occurs when a coin’s side gets clipped, chopped, or sliced off during minting. While coins with these errors seem worthless, they can still sell for much more than their face value.

8. 1972 half Dollar No FG Initials

1972 half Dollar No FG Initials

The coin’s reverse side was designed by Frank Gasparro and had his initials at the coin’s bottom, near the eagle’s tail. This error is rare, making the 1972 half-dollar worth thousands of dollars. The error results from overpolishing the die, which makes the initials fade so much that the FG initials disappear.

The AU 58 graded no FG half dollar is valued at $1290, one MS 67+ coin is worth $1645, and an MS 63 coin with the same error sells for $2485. Please note that our prices are from previous trades and auctions. The current value can increase or decrease, depending on the current market.  

1972 Half Dollar FAQs

What makes the 1972 Half Dollar Rare?

While the half-dollars minted before 1972 were mainly composed of silver, which increased their hoarding, the 1972 half-dollar is rare due to sentimental reasons. Surprisingly, the 1972 half dollars didn’t have silver but were still hoarded out of habit, making the coins in pristine condition a rare find. The 1972 half-dollar without FG initials on the reverse side is the most valuable and rare.

Is the 1972 half-dollar silver?

The half dollars made in 1964 were 90% silver, However, due to increased hoarding, the silver content in the coin was further decreased. The 1972 half-dollars don’t have silver in them. Instead, the coins have a mix of copper and nickel. There were a few 1972 proof half dollars minted which contained 40% silver. In 1992, the half-dollar proofs were introduced again with a composition of 90% silver.

Which Kennedy Half Dollars are the most valuable?

Here’s a small list of the most valuable Kennedy half dollars. Please remember that the value mentioned here is average, and the actual price might vary depending on the market, the coin’s features, and its rarity.

What is the price of a 1972 half-dollar in today’s market?

Despite the face value of the 1972 half dollar being $0.5, the coins having a value of $100 in 1972 are worth $715. There is a cumulative price increase of 615% up until now. Therefore, the price of a 1972 half-dollar should range between $5 to $8 for a coin in clean condition.

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