A massive anniversary celebrated by the United States Mint was responsible for creating some of the greatest coins to come from the 21st century. Ranked in Whitman Publishing's 100 Greatest United States Modern Coins, authors Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett lead us through this fourth edition pick that features several different versions from several different product releases throughout the anniversary year. Let us get into it.
#71 – 2014 Kennedy Half Dollar, 50th Anniversary Issues
In 2014, the United States Mint threw everything they had at the wall in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the famed Kennedy half dollar. This fanfare came in the form of multiple product releases, starting with the 2-Coin Uncirculated Coin Set featuring two clad half dollars from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The design for the 2014 50th Anniversary editions were slightly modified from the original 1964 release.
Another issue came in the form of a gold coin, playing off the fact that it was the golden anniversary. Struck in 3/4oz of .9999 fine gold, the Proof coin featured the dual date of 1964 ~ 2014 and was sold individually. Initially there was no mintage limit, but that quickly changed to be capped at 75,000. This is where chaos ensued.
In addition to being sold online, it was made available in physical locations across the country, including the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago, the Philadelphia and Denver Mint, and the executive office of the Mint in Washington, D.C. The Mint announced beforehand that they would be designated First Day of Issue by grading services (i.e. NGC, PCGS), adding to the excitement. However, it was also announced that there would be a limit of one per customer, prompting dealers to hire people to wait in line and purchase coins at all locations. The excitement sold customers, but the safety of those customers on the day of eventually won as the crowds forced the Mint to rethink the physical location sales and shut them down.
Finally, after the gold coin was released, the Mint would offer the 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half Dollar Silver Coin Collection later in the year. The set would include four 90% silver half dollars in four different finishes. This included a Reverse Proof from West Point, a Proof from Philadelphia, an Enhanced Uncirculated from San Francisco, and an Uncirculated from Denver.
Even though the Kennedy half dollar had not been used in circulation for quite some time, the anniversary reminded collectors and even non-collectors of the importance of the design. According to Schechter and Garrett, it also demonstrated the Mint's ability to offer multiple products centered around a specific theme that included multiple metals. Their impact is still significant even 60+ years later.