Kennedy Half Dollars

The Kennedy half dollar was first minted in 1964 to commemorate President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963. The half dollar has a rich history beginning in 1794. From 1794 to 1947, half-dollars were made of silver and decorated with an allegorical image that symbolized liberty on the obverse. In 1948, Benjamin Franklin’s likeness was placed on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. During the bicentennial years 1975 and 1976, the reverse featured an image of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.