Half dollar ( United States coin ) - wikipedia Half dollar ( United States coin ) 50 - Cent Piece United States Value 0.50 U.S. dollar Mass 11.340 g ( 0.365 troy oz ) Diameter 30.61 mm ( 1.205 in ) Thickness 2.15 mm ( 0.085 in ) Edge 150 reeds Composition 91.67 % Cu 8.33 % Ni Years of minting 1794 -- present Catalog number -- Obverse Design John F. Kennedy Designer Gilroy Roberts Design date 1964 Reverse Design Presidential Seal Designer Frank Gasparro Design date 1964 The United States half dollar coin, sometimes referred to as the fifty - cent piece, is a United States coin worth 50 cents, one - half of a dollar, and is the second largest U.S. coin currently minted ( the Silver Eagle dollar coin is the largest ), in both size and weight, being 1.205 inches ( 30.61 mm ) in diameter and. 085 inches ( 2.15 mm ) in thickness, and is twice the weight of the quarter. The current coin, the Kennedy half dollar, depicts the profile of President John F. Kennedy on the obverse and the Seal of the President of the United States on the reverse, but the design has undergone a number of changes throughout its history. It has been produced every year since the conception of the United States Mint in 1794. The only other U.S. coin that has been minted as consistently is the cent. Though not commonly used today, half dollar coins have a long history of heavy use alongside other denominations of coinage, but have faded out of general circulation for many reasons. They were produced in fairly large quantities until the year 2002, when the U.S. Mint ceased production of the coin for general circulation. As a result of its decreasing usage, a large amount of pre-2002 half dollars remain in Federal Reserve vaults, prompting the change in production. Presently, collector half dollars can be ordered straight from the U.S. Mint, and pre-2002 circulation half dollars may be ordered through most U.S. banks. Contents 1 Circulation 2 Aspects of early history 3 List of designs 4 List of early commemorative issues 5 See also 6 References Circulation Half dollar coins saw heavy use, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century. For many years, they were commonly used in casinos. Rolls of half dollars may still be kept on hand in cardrooms for games requiring 50 - cent antes or bring - in bets, for dealers to pay winning naturals in blackjack, or where the house collects a rake in increments. Additionally, some concession vendors at sporting events distribute half dollar coins as change for convenience. By the early 1960s, the rising price of silver was nearing the point where the bullion value of U.S. silver coins would exceed face value. In 1965, the U.S. introduced layered composition coins made of a copper core laminated between two cupronickel outer faces. The silver content of dimes and quarters was eliminated, but the Kennedy half dollar composition still contained silver ( reduced from 90 to 40 percent ) from 1965 to 1970. Half dollars issued through the end of the 1960s were hoarded as the only precious metal U.S. coins remaining in production, and as the price of silver continued to rise, pre-1964 halves disappeared from circulation as well. By the time that the coin 's composition was changed to match that of the clad dimes and quarters in 1971, both businesses and the public had adapted to a country in which the half dollar did not generally circulate. The quarter took over the half 's role as the highest - value component of change. Most coins enter circulation through the change drawers of businesses. Few businesses stock their change drawers with half dollars, and many banks do not stock them or hand them out as normal business practice, so the coins do not see much circulation. Most U.S. vending machines do not accept half dollars, nor do payphones, which further curtails their circulation ; however, it is the most common denomination used for U.S. commemorative coins. Since 2002, half dollars have been minted only for collectors, due to large Federal Reserve and government inventories on hand of pre-2001 pieces ; this is mostly due to lack of demand and large quantity returns from casino slot machines that now operate `` coinless ''. If and when the reserve supply runs low, the mint will again fill orders for circulation half dollars. It took about 18 years ( 1981 -- 1999 ) for the large inventory stockpile of a similar low - demand circulation coin, the $1 coin, to reach reserve levels low enough to again produce circulation pieces. Modern - date half dollars can be purchased in proof sets, mint sets, rolls, and bags from the U.S. Mint, and existing inventory circulation pieces can be ordered through most U.S. banks. All collector issues since 2001 have had much lower mintages than in previous years. Although intended only for collectors, these post-2001 half dollars sometimes find their way into circulation. Aspects of early history On December 1, 1794, the first half dollars, approximately 5,300 pieces, were delivered. Another 18,000 were produced in January 1795 using dies of 1794, to save the expense of making new ones. Another 30,000 pieces were struck by the end of 1801. The coin had the Heraldic Eagle, based on the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse. 150,000 were minted in 1804 but struck with dies from 1803, so no 1804 specimens exist. In 1838, half dollar dies were produced in the Philadelphia Mint for the newly established New Orleans Mint, and ten test samples of the 1838 half dollars were made at the main Philadelphia mint. These samples were put into the mint safe along with other rarities like the 1804 silver dollar. The dies were then shipped to New Orleans for the regular production of 1838 half dollars. However, New Orleans production of the half dollars was delayed due to the priority of producing half dimes and dimes. The large press for half dollar production was not used in New Orleans until January 1839 to produce 1838 half dollars, but the reverse die could not be properly secured, and only ten samples were produced before the dies failed. Rufus Tyler, chief coiner of the New Orleans mint, wrote to Mint Director Patterson of the problem on February 25, 1839. The Orleans mint samples all had a double stamped reverse as a result of this production problem and they also showed dramatic signs of die rust, neither of which are present on the Philadelphia produced test samples. While eight Philadelphia minted samples survive to this day, there is only one known New Orleans minted specimen with the tell - tale double stamped reverse and die rust. This is the famous coin that Rufus Tyler presented to Alexander Dallas Bache ( great grandson of Benjamin Franklin ) in the summer of 1839 and was later purchased in June 1894 by A.G. Heaton, the father of mint mark coin collecting. The 1838 Philadelphia - produced half dollars are extremely rare, with two separate specimens having sold for $632,500 in Heritage auctions in 2005 and 2008 respectively. The sole surviving Orleans minted 1838 is one of the rarest of all American coins. In 1840 this mint produced nearly 180,000 half dollars. In 1861, the New Orleans mint produced coins for three different governments. A total of 330,000 were struck under the United States government, 1,240,000 for the State of Louisiana after it seceded from the Union, and 962,633 after it joined the Confederacy. Since the same die was used for all strikings, the output looks identical. However the Confederate States of America actually minted four half dollars with a CSA ( rather than USA ) reverse and the obverse die they used had a small die crack. Thus `` regular '' 1861 half dollars with this crack probably were used by the Confederates for some of the mass striking. There are two varieties of Kennedy half dollars in the proof set issues of 1964. Initially, the die was used with accented hair, showing deeper lines than the president 's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, liked. New dyes were prepared to smooth out some of the details. It is estimated that about 1 to 3 % ( 40,000 to 100,000 ) of the proof halves are of the earlier type, making them somewhat more expensive for collectors. List of designs Silver half dollars Flowing Hair 1794 -- 1795 Draped Bust 1796 -- 1807 Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796 -- 1797 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1801 -- 1807 Capped Bust 1807 -- 1839 Capped Bust ( Large Size ), With Motto 1807 -- 1836 Capped Bust ( Small Size ), No Motto 1836 -- 1839 Seated Liberty 1839 -- 1891 Seated Liberty, No Motto 1839 -- 1866 Seated Liberty, With Motto 1866 -- 1891 Barber 1892 -- 1915 Walking Liberty 1916 -- 1947 Franklin 1948 -- 1963 Kennedy 1964 ( General circulation issue ) ( the last 90 % silver half dollar for circulation, contains 0.36169 oz. net silver per coin, or 7.234 oz. silver per roll ) Kennedy 1992 -- present ( silver proof sets available ) 40 % silver half dollars Kennedy 1965 -- 1969 Kennedy 1970 ( collectors sets only ) Kennedy 1976 ( only collectors sets produced with 40 % silver ) Copper - nickel clad half dollars Kennedy 1971 -- 1974, 1977 -- 1986, 1988 -- 2001 ( general circulation issues ) Kennedy 1987, 2002 -- present ( collectors only ) Kennedy Bicentennial 1975 -- 1976 ( all dated 1776 -- 1976. ) Various half dollar designs List of early commemorative issues See also : Early United States commemorative coins § 50 Cents Silver Columbian half dollar ( 1892 -- 1893 ) Panama -- Pacific half dollar ( 1915 ) Illinois Centennial half dollar ( 1918 ) Maine Centennial half dollar ( 1920 ) Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar ( 1920 -- 1921 ) Missouri Centennial half dollar ( 1921 ) Alabama Centennial half dollar ( 1921 ) Grant Memorial half dollar ( 1922 ) Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar ( 1923 ) Huguenot - Walloon half dollar ( 1924 ) Lexington - Concord Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1925 ) Stone Mountain Memorial half dollar ( 1925 ) California Diamond Jubilee half dollar ( 1925 ) Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar ( 1925 ) United States Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1926 ) Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar ( 1926 -- 1939 ) Vermont Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1927 ) Hawaii Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1928 ) Maryland Tercentenary half dollar ( 1934 ) Texas Centennial half dollar ( 1934 -- 1938 ) Daniel Boone Bicentennial half dollar ( 1934 -- 1938 ) Connecticut Tercentenary half dollar ( 1935 ) Arkansas Centennial half dollar ( 1935 -- 1939 ) Arkansas - Robinson half dollar ( 1936 ) Hudson Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1935 ) California Pacific International Exposition half dollar ( 1935 -- 1936 ) Old Spanish Trail half dollar ( 1935 ) Rhode Island Tercentenary half dollar ( 1936 ) Cleveland Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Wisconsin Territorial Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Cincinnati Musical Center half dollar ( 1936 ) Long Island Tercentenary half dollar ( 1936 ) York County, Maine Tercentenary half dollar ( 1936 ) Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Lynchburg Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Elgin, Illinois, Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Albany Charter half dollar ( 1936 ) San Francisco -- Oakland Bay Bridge half dollar ( 1936 ) Columbia, South Carolina Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Delaware Tercentenary half dollar ( 1936 ) Battle of Gettysburg half dollar ( 1936 ) Norfolk, Virginia Bicentennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Roanoke Island half dollar ( 1937 ) Battle of Antietam half dollar ( 1937 ) New Rochelle, New York half dollar ( 1938 ) Iowa Centennial half dollar ( 1946 ) Booker T. Washington Memorial half dollar ( 1946 -- 1954 ) See also United States Mint coin production References Jump up ^ U.S. MINT Catalog ^ Jump up to : `` kennedy - half - dollars ''. United States Mint. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 08. Jump up ^ `` USA Commemorative Half Dollars ''. www.commem.com. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 27. Jump up ^ United States Half Dollars Denver Coin Store. Web. Retrieved 13 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Julian, R.W. ( December 2006 ). `` All About the Half Dollar ''. Numismatist Magazine. 119 ( 12 ) : 38. Jump up ^ U.S. Archives, general correspondence of the Philadelphia Mint box 39 Jump up ^ `` Treatise on coinage of The United States Branch Mints '' published 1893 / author Augustus Heaton Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Proof - 63 Jump up ^ `` The Surprising History Of The 1838 - O Half Dollar '' published Jan 2012 by Ivy Press / David Stone and Mark Van Winkle authors Heritage Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Proof - 64 Jump up ^ The SS Republic Shipwreck Project : the Coin Collection, p. 23 Jump up ^ What exactly is an Accented Hair Kennedy ? Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1794 -- 95 Half Dollar Flowing Hair ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1796 -- 97 Half Dollar Draped Bust Small Eagle ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1801 -- 07 Half Dollar Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1807 -- 36 Half Dollar Capped Bust Lettered Edge ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1836 -- 39 Half Dollar Capped Bust Reeded Edge ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1839 -- 66 Half Dollar Seated Liberty No Motto ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1866 -- 91 Half Dollar Seated Liberty With Motto ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1892 -- 1915 Half Dollar Barber ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1916 -- 47 Half Dollar Walking Liberty ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1948 -- 63 Half Dollar Franklin ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ NGC Photo Proof ( 1994 ). `` 1964 -- Half Dollar Kennedy ''. CoinSite. ROKO Design Group, Inc. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 13. United States currency and coinage Topics Federal Reserve System Federal Reserve Note U.S. dollar U.S. Mint Philadelphia San Francisco Denver West Point Bureau of Engraving and Printing Mutilated currency Current coinage Penny ( 1 ¢ ) Nickel ( 5 ¢ ) Dime ( 10 ¢ ) Quarter ( 25 ¢ ) Half dollar ( 50 ¢ ) Dollar ( $1 ) Bullion coinage America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins American Buffalo American Gold Eagle American Platinum Eagle American Silver Eagle Current paper money $1 $2 $5 $10 $20 $50 $100 See also Bicentennial coinage Commemoratives Early Commemoratives Modern Commemoratives Confederate dollar Large denominations Obsolete denominations Promotional fake denominations Counterfeit United States currency Mill Coin production In God We Trust E pluribus unum Annuit cœptis Nicknames Replacement banknote Sales tax token Coinage of the United States Cent ( 1 ¢ ) Fugio Cent ( 1787 ) Chain ( 1793 ) Wreath ( 1793 ) Liberty Cap ( 1793 -- 96 ) Draped Bust ( 1796 -- 1807 ) Classic Head ( 1808 -- 14 ) Matron Head ( 1816 -- 39 ) Large cent ( Braided Hair ) ( 1835 -- 57 ) Flying Eagle cent ( 1856 -- 58 ) Indian Head ( 1859 -- 1909 ) Lincoln cent ( 1909 -- present ) 1943 steel cent 1955 doubled die cent 1974 aluminum cent Nickel ( 5 ¢ ) Half dime Flowing Hair ( 1794 -- 95 ) Draped Bust ( 1796 -- 97, 1800 -- 05 ) Capped Bust ( 1829 -- 37 ) Seated Liberty ( 1837 -- 73 ) Shield ( 1866 -- 83 ) Liberty Head ( 1883 -- 1913 ) Buffalo ( 1913 -- 38 ) Jefferson ( 1938 -- present ) Dime ( 10 ¢ ) Disme ( 1792 ) Draped Bust ( 1796 -- 1807 ) Capped Bust ( 1809 -- 37 ) Seated Liberty ( 1837 -- 91 ) Barber ( 1892 -- 1916 ) Mercury ( 1916 -- 45 ) Roosevelt ( 1946 -- present ) Quarter dollar ( 25 ¢ ) Draped Bust ( 1796 -- 1807 ) Capped Bust ( 1815 -- 39 ) Seated Liberty ( 1839 -- 91 ) Barber ( 1892 -- 1916 ) Standing Liberty ( 1916 -- 30 ) Washington ( 1932 -- 1998 ) 50 State Quarters ( 1999 -- 2008 ) District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters ( 2009 ) America the Beautiful Quarters ( 2010 -- present ) Half dollar ( 50 ¢ ) Flowing Hair ( 1794 -- 95 ) Draped Bust ( 1796 -- 1807 ) Capped Bust ( 1807 -- 39 ) Seated Liberty ( 1839 -- 91 ) Barber ( 1892 -- 1915 ) Walking Liberty ( 1916 -- 47 ) Franklin ( 1948 -- 63 ) Kennedy ( 1964 -- present ) Dollar ( $1 ) Flowing Hair ( 1794 -- 95 ) Draped Bust ( 1795 -- 1804 ) 1804 ( 1834, c. 1858 -- 60 ) Gobrecht ( 1836 -- 39 ) Seated Liberty ( 1840 -- 73 ) Gold ( 1849 -- 89 ) Trade ( 1873 -- 85 ) Morgan ( 1878 -- 1904 ; 1921 ) Peace ( 1921 -- 35 ) Eisenhower ( 1971 -- 78 ) Susan B. Anthony ( 1979 -- 81 ; 1999 ) Silver Eagle ( 1986 -- present ) Sacagawea ( 2000 -- present ) Presidential ( 2007 -- 16 ) Gold Turban Head eagle ( 1795 -- 1804 ) Half eagle ( 1795 -- 1929 ) Eagle ( 1795 -- 1933 ) Quarter eagle ( 1796 -- 1929 ) Gold dollar ( 1849 -- 89 ) Three - dollar piece ( 1854 -- 89 ) Liberty Head double eagle ( 1849 -- 1907 ) Double eagle ( 1849 -- 1933 ) Saint - Gaudens double eagle ( 1907 -- 33 ) Indian Head eagle ( 1907 -- 33 ) Indian Head gold pieces ( 1908 -- 29 ) Gold eagle ( 1986 -- present ) Gold Buffalo ( 2006 -- present ) First Spouse gold bullion coins ( 2007 -- 16 ) Commemorative Early ( 1892 -- 1954 ) Columbian half dollar ( 1892 -- 93 ) Isabella quarter ( 1893 ) Lafayette dollar ( 1900 ) Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar ( 1903 ) Lewis and Clark Exposition dollar ( 1904 -- 05 ) Panama -- Pacific commemorative coins ( 1915 ) McKinley Birthplace Memorial dollar ( 1916 -- 17 ) Illinois Centennial half dollar ( 1918 ) Maine Centennial half dollar ( 1920 ) Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar ( 1920 -- 21 ) Missouri Centennial half dollar ( 1921 ) Alabama Centennial half dollar ( 1921 ) Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar ( 1923 ) Huguenot - Walloon half dollar ( 1924 ) Stone Mountain Memorial half dollar ( 1925 ) Lexington - Concord Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1925 ) California Diamond Jubilee half dollar ( 1925 ) Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar ( 1925 ) United States Sesquicentennial coinage ( 1926 ) Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar ( 1926 -- 39 ) Vermont Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1927 ) Hawaii Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1928 ) Texas Centennial half dollar ( 1934 -- 38 ) Hudson Sesquicentennial half dollar ( 1935 ) Connecticut Tercentenary half dollar ( 1935 ) Rhode Island Tercentenary half dollar ( 1936 ) Cincinnati Musical Center half dollar ( 1936 ) Cleveland Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Bridgeport half dollar ( 1936 ) Elgin, Illinois, Centennial half dollar ( 1936 ) Modern ( 1982 -- present ) Los Angeles XXIII Olympiad dollar ( 1984 ) Eisenhower commemorative dollar ( 1990 ) Library of Congress ten dollar coin ( 2000 ) John Marshall commemorative dollar ( 2005 ) Marine Corps 230th Anniversary silver dollar ( 2005 ) Boy Scouts of America centennial silver dollar ( 2010 ) Patterns Three - cent bronze ( 1863 ) Stella ( 1879 -- 80 ) Half - union ( 1877 ) Other Half cent ( 1793 -- 1857 ) Two - cent piece ( 1864 -- 73 ) Three - cent silver ( 1851 -- 73 ) Three - cent nickel ( 1865 -- 89 ) Twenty - cent piece ( 1875 -- 78 ) United States Bicentennial coinage ( 1975 -- 76 ) Platinum Eagle ( 1997 -- present ) America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins ( 2010 -- present ) Norse - American medal ( 1925 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Half_dollar_(United_States_coin)&oldid=800179414 '' Categories : Coins of the United States Fifty - cent coins Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano 日本 語 Norsk پنجابی Русский Slovenčina 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 September 2017, at 23 : 16. 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Question: when did the 50 cent coin come out
Answer: December 1, 1794