The Kennedy 1972 Half Dollar Coin
Imagine a simple 1972 half-dollar coin fetching $2,485.13 in an auction! One of the shocking highlights at the Heritage’s September Long Beach auction was the half-dollar coin 1972 value. Souvenir collectors have bought millions of this coin. The speculators and investors have also contributed to compounding the increase in demand for this coin. This coin must be unique.
Today, few people handle Kennedy half dollars daily in their pocket change. Still, collectors covet rare 50-cent coins examples in top grades and spend substantial sums to acquire the finest examples.
The History of the 1972 Half Dollar Coin
On November 22, 1963, one of the most renowned presidents of the United States of America was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, by an inhuman assassin. Within hours of his demise, mint Director at that time, Eva Adams, informed Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts that he should get ready to engrave the image of JF Kennedy on large silver coins; either the silver dollar, half a dollar, or quarter dollar, in a bid to keep his memory alive.
However, the late President’s widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, had her preference. She opted to have John F. Kennedy depicted on the half dollar, which would replace the previous design of Benjamin Franklin because she did not want to replace George Washington on the quarter. Adam then called Robert to authorize this project on November 27. Franklin had appeared on the dollar for only six years. Therefore, it was necessary to have Congressional approval for any design change within 25 years. In early December, Henry Gonzalez introduced a bill for Kennedy to appear on the half dollar. The new President, Lyndon Johnson, moved by letters from the public, endorsed the call and urged the congress to pass legislation so that striking began in 1964.
The bill passed on December 30, 1963, and by January 2, 1964, the Mint completed the first coinage dies. At first, the Mint only struck proof coins. Finally, on January 30, 1964, the first Kennedy half dollars intended for circulation were ready.
Kennedy had approved Roberts and Gasparro’s plans when it came to the designs, but Robert made some modifications after meeting him in person. Mrs. Kennedy also played a significant role in choosing the designs. She viewed them favorably but suggested that Robert alter his hair slightly. Another change to the design was the designer used half the figure of the President instead of the profile. Robert decided to hang on to the left profile due to the time constraints; there was limited time to produce an entirely new design, and the left profile had an appealing appearance.
Frank Gasparro came up with the reverse design of the Kennedy half-dollar. The experience he gained from designing the President’s appreciation medal influenced the reverse design. As a result, the reverse portrays a more extensive and more detailed Presidential seal than his initial design on the Mints’ Presidential series. In addition, you will see Gasparro’s initials, F.G., on both the appreciation medal and the Kennedy half-dollar.
In 1972, the half dollar minted lacked the critical design element of the F.G. initials typically found on the reverse below the eagle’s right leg. The probable reason for the design element is because the dies were ground down at the U.S. Mint to remove clash marks. The half-dollar coin has grown in popularity over the years. However, sharp-eyed collectors are out on the look for this coin. In 1972, coin collectors discovered the half-dollar coin in the 1980s, but few have surfaced. The J.T. Stanton and Bill Fivaz’s current edition of the Cherry pickers’ Guide to Rare Die Variety of the United States Coins lists FS-901.
What is the Value of the 1972 Half Dollar Coin?
How much is a 1972 half dollar worth? The 1972 Half dollar coin is one of the Kennedy half dollars coins that are not only valuable but also affordable. In addition, the detailed mintage data for the 1972 half dollar indicate that they are readily available.
USA Coin Book Estimated the half dollar coin 1972 value is worth $2.28 or more in Uncirculated (MS+) Mint Condition. Therefore, in average condition, the 1972 Kennedy Half Dollar will be worth around 50 cents. This price does not refer to any standard coin grading scale. Therefore average means that it is in a similar condition to other coins issued in 1972, and mint state means that it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies.
You will find its mintmark on the Observe/Front of the 1972 Kennedy Half Dollar. It is a P, from Philadelphia if no mint mark is present. This coin has no silver value.
Many factors determine the price and value of a coin. Coin collectors understand the terms price and value have different meanings. The price or retail price is what you pay when you purchase it from a dealer. The value or wholesale price is what a coin dealer would give you to buy the coin from you. Confusing? Think of it this way: the coin dealer coming to get the con from you intends to sell it at retail price. He comes to you with the understanding that the coin you have is valuable.
Below are some of the factors that determine the value and prices of the coin.
Mintage
The supply of the coin will determine the value and price of the coin. Therefore, the initial Mintage of this coin will influence the total possible supply of the coin. They destroy the coin that dies that year and never use it again at the end of a year. Once the production for a year is complete, they set a date for supply for that coin. In the United States early years, designers made coin dies by hand and used them until they broke or wore out. As a result, they reported the produced coins with the previous year’s date as production in the current years.
Survival Rate or Surviving Population
After minting coins, they release them into circulation. Over time, they get damaged and or won out, and the public returns them to the United States Treasury, where the Treasury reclaims them for their metal.
The members of the public will melt the coins for their intrinsic value. For example, in the early 1980s and 2011, citizens melted these coins to obtain silver when the price of silver shot to almost $50 per troy ounce.
In times of economic prosperity, people tend to save coins for collection. During the economic downturn, people rely on coins for sustenance. The coins that coin collectors manage to save are known as surviving population.
Demand
Several factors influence the demand for a particular type and date of the coin. One of the reasons is that in the early 1900s, the coin boards became popular, which considerably grew the coin collecting hobby in the United States. Secondly, the coin collectors did extensive marketing campaigns for certain types of coins. These campaigns have contributed significantly to increased demand for the currency.
There are factors too that can cause demand to go down. First, when coin collectors fear an economic downturn, they start selling their collections instead of buying. This action reduces the need for coins in general. Secondly, If your coins have precious metals, an increase in the precious metal prices that exceed the coin’s intrinsic value will cause these coins to sell at their melt value, indicating that demand has reduced, which simultaneously reduces the availability of a particular currency.
Melt Value
If you find a coin made from a precious metal such as gold or silver, the intrinsic value of the metal within can significantly determine its value and price. For example, in 1965, the United States began switching the composition of its dime, nickel, and half a dollar from 90 percent silver to a base metal consisting of copper and nickel. Therefore, U.S. coins dating from 1964 and before are worth more for their silver content. Thus, as the price of silver and gold rises and falls, the values and prices of gold and silver coins also rise and fall.
The rise and fall in prices are not limited to just precious metals. For example, in recent years, the cost of copper and nickel began to rise. If the base metal value in our coinage surpasses the coin’s face value, you will find people melting common coins to reap the profit of selling the copper and nickel recovered from these coins.
Grade/Condition
The most acceptable condition possible for the coin is when it’s uncirculated. To obtain coins that look like they have just come off the coining press at the Mint, you must remove them from circulation and store them safely. The uncirculated coins are rare and more expensive, referred to as grade or condition rarities.
Dealer Stock
If you find a dealer with more coins on hand, the value and price of that coin are likely low. Therefore, he is more likely to reduce the coin price to sell more. On the other hand, if you try to sell him a 1972 half-dollar coin, he is more likely to offer you a lower value than you expect because he already has more than he needs in his inventory. Therefore, coin dealers would start to lower their prices to sell these coins out of stock before the price drops even further. Read our article and find out The Best Way To Clean Old Coins.
Specs and Features of the 1972 Half Dollar Coin
The essential information to identify the 1972 half dollar coin was the second year issued in the copper-clad composition. Mintages remained relatively high, producing nearly 300 million coins. The Denver Mint issue is more frequently encountered in high grades, while the Philadelphia Mint issue can be complex, especially in MS67.
Mintages in San Francisco minted Proof coins, and they included them in the U.S. Mint’s annual proof set. Collectors seek out examples of this coin that display deep cameo contrast on both the obverse and reverse. It is often possible to cherry-pick 1972 Proof Sets to find choice Kennedy Halves.
1972 Kennedy Half Dollar Mintage and Specifications include:
- Circulation Mintage: 153,180,000 (Philadelphia), 141,890,000 (Denver)
- Composition: 91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel
- Diameter: 30.61 mm (0.033 inches)
- Mint Marks: None (Philadelphia), D (Denver), S (San Francisco)
- Proof Mintage: 3,260,996
- Mint Marks: None (Philadelphia), D (Denver), S (San Francisco)
- Weight: 11.34 grams (0.035 ounce)
The Most Valuable Kennedy Half Dollars to Date
Which Kennedy half dollars are worth the most to date? Numismatists rate the 1970-D at the top. The 1970-D was the last of the 40% silver Kennedy half dollars. They struck the 1970-D during the production era of circulating silver coinage and included them only in uncirculated sets. As a result, 1970-D is the only regular-issue coin of note in the series.
Conclusion
The 1972-D ‘no F.G.’ is perhaps the rarest Kennedy half dollar with no-FG. Coin collectors highly seek the 1972-D issue variety. However, be wary when buying no-F.G. half dollars. You need to watch out for the striking weakness in other reverse areas, particularly in the feather details around the eagle’s left leg.