The Kennedy Half Dollar, created to honor assassinated President John F Kennedy, was established in 1964 shortly after his death. Coins dated 1964 had a high silver content that was reduced by Congress passing the Coinage Act of 1965. Following that act, the coins were limited to a composition of 40% silver. Due to the highly collectible nature of the coins, few entered general circulation, and the Treasury Department began to strike smaller mintages of the coins after 1967.
Return of the Mint Mark
To discourage collector hoarding, the mint mark had been removed from Kennedy Half Dollars minted between 1965 and 1967. The mintage produced at the Denver Mint in 1968 returned the mint mark to the coin. Otherwise, the appearance of the 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar remained the same as previous mintages.
Value of the 1968-D Kennedy Half Dollar
The 1968-D Kennedy Half Dollar was minted in a large number, though slightly fewer than the 1967 coin. It is a common and easy to find coin for a collection, and it only becomes scarcer and increases in value in the higher grades. The 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar was often circulated prior to becoming more collectible following the complete removal of silver from the coin in later years.
Type of Coin: Half Dollar
Year: 1968
Mint Mark: Denver
Total Mintage: 246,951,930
Metal Content: 40% Silver, 60% Copper
Face Value: Half Dollar
Weight: 11.50 grams
Edge: 150 Reeds
Designer: Gilroy Roberts/Frank Gasparro
Diameter: 30.61 millimeters