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How come half dollars get no Congressional love?

ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,116 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 18, 2021 7:34AM in U.S. Coin Forum

The US Mint has now issued an amazing number of quarter and dollar coin types (or sub-types).

How come the same doesn't happen with Half Dollars? It seems like it would be nice to use the larger planchet size.

Would you be more interested in half dollars if they were struck with more designs?

See more here:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1050022/we-are-getting-more-new-quarters-after-2021#latest

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Comments

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,568 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 18, 2021 3:12PM

    Good question.

    Here are three guesses:

    1) quarters circulate heavily so the designs will be seen.

    2) dollar coins don't circulate but the powers that be hope they might generate more interest (and use) if they have special designs

    3) no one wants to be responsible for taking JFK off the half.

    Being larger, the half dollar would be a natural choice for a design series, but see above. ;)

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No one uses them.

  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 18, 2021 8:13AM

    ......do you seriously think that’s not in the mints long range “cash cow” plans? I also think it’s just a matter of time before they rediscover Incuse!

  • 3stars3stars Posts: 2,285 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The half should have been deleted 20 years ago

    Previous transactions: Wondercoin, goldman86, dmarks, Type2
  • olympicsosolympicsos Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭

    Nobody has used them since the Kennedy Half was introduced in 1964. Even before then the Half Dollar wasn't the most widely used coin. I don't know why they still issue clad bags and rolls for collectors. I'd just keep a silver proof and silver uncirculated half dollar annually and that's it, maybe even get rid of Kennedy and go back to the Walking Liberty design, keep it silver only with no clad and leave it like that. Half Dollars will NEVER be accepted, they aren't even widely used in Canada where they have Loonies and Toonies.

  • privatecoinprivatecoin Posts: 3,382 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Kennedy half may not widely circulate, but collector demand is high. They could likely sell a lot as long as they keep the obverse.

    Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc

  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,777 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Did circulate quite a bit during the early ‘70 when the clads appeared.

  • RedStormRedStorm Posts: 223 ✭✭✭

    Congress did include half dollar redesign in the recently 2020 Coin Redesign law. There will be new half dollar reverses for the 250th anniversary of independence and annual designs featuring Paralympic sports as part of the ‘youth sports’ series. A redesign of the obverse, featuring a new portrait of JFK is also authorized in this law.

  • scooter25scooter25 Posts: 769 ✭✭✭✭

    I love the half dollars. I’m really interested in seeing the redesigns though

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have always liked the half dollar coin. The WLH is a real American coin beauty. I like the JFK half, but it is time for a new obverse.... Tired of dead Presidents now.... Unlikely we will get rid of Washington or Lincoln though. I say 'Bring back the circulating half dollar!!' Cheers, RickO

  • derrybderryb Posts: 36,814 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 19, 2021 1:42PM

    eliminate half and one dollar coins, they serve no circulation purpose. If people aren't gonna use them it's a waste of resources to make them. With the recent rise in currency printing it only makes sense to double penny, nickle, dime and quarter production.

    "Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey

  • astroratastrorat Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Half dollars? Anything after 1836 is just chump change! ;)

    Numismatist Ordinaire
    See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
  • ElcontadorElcontador Posts: 7,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd like to see one with a penguin on it. Am not holding my breath.

    "Vou invadir o Nordeste,
    "Seu cabra da peste,
    "Sou Mangueira......."
  • KurisuKurisu Posts: 1,994 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Zoins
    Since it's one of the coins that actually costs substantially less to mint than it's worth...
    What if they had a silver lamination?

    Just thinking out loud...something that would make it even more appealing visually and more connected to a sense of value? Possibly?

    Maybe it wouldn't even matter if people were encouraged to spend them, just to renew the interest in collecting them?

    I think they have been a fail for a long time in the sense of being used in transactions simply due to weight. They very quickly become a lot to carry around especially if you compare them to almost any other reasonable 50c combination, like 2 quarters or even 5 dimes.

    Coins are Neato!

    "If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright

  • dpooledpoole Posts: 5,940 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ambro51 said:
    The Did circulate quite a bit during the early ‘70 when the clads appeared.

    I don't recall that they circulated, so much as everybody hoarded them. "Collections" coming out in estates now invariably feature tons of them.

  • In4apennyIn4apenny Posts: 298 ✭✭✭

    I did a bank box search with no luck in finding any silver. I am using the halves to pay for items every day. It's kinda fun to watch people look at them with a big question mark over their heads.

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 8,970 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Plenty of early commem halves to hunt down. My recent pickup and I think it's awesome. They'll never make them like this again. Enjoy. Peace Roy

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • kiyotekiyote Posts: 5,573 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I’m following the Twitter account of a cashier who occasionally gets Congress or Statue of Liberty half dollars at The fast food restaurant he works at for payment

    "I'll split the atom! I am the fifth dimension! I am the eighth wonder of the world!" -Gef the talking mongoose.
  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,963 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They don't want to cut into the commemorative half gravy train?

  • P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 2,560 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There are many different modern commemorative half dollars, all of which were approved by Congress. I know that’s not quite what you meant, but the denomination (and larger planchet size) is indeed used frequently already.

    Nothing is as expensive as free money.

  • StellaStella Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There was news about this in Coin World recently.

    I am pasting part of it here:

    ➤ Up to five reverse designs for quarter dollars celebrating the Semiquincentennial, with one of the designs to depict women. All circulating coins (cent, 5-cent coin, dime, half dollar and dollar) will have a redesign of reverse and obverse for the 250th anniversary (2026).
    ➤ Up to five reverse designs of youth sports on quarter dollars and one reverse design of Paralympic sports on half dollar annually (2027 to 2030).

    https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/circulating-collectible-coin-redesign-act-of-2020-signed-by-president-trump

    Coin collector since childhood and New York Numismatist at Heritage Auctions.
  • RedStormRedStorm Posts: 223 ✭✭✭

    @In4apenny said:
    I did a bank box search with no luck in finding any silver. I am using the halves to pay for items every day. It's kinda fun to watch people look at them with a big question mark over their heads.

    I use ‘em too and find it ‘kinda fun’ as well!

  • CoinHoarderCoinHoarder Posts: 2,585 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They haven't issued the Half Dollars as a regular circulating coin for many years. No sense in changing it now. It will never circulate again. Either leave it the way it is, as I think it is an awesome design, especially the eagle on the reverse. Or, discontinue it all together. You get your different half dollar designs with the never ending commemorative issues.

  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,777 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cut the mintage down to 10,000 and sell the half dollars on eBay true auction

  • JimnightJimnight Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I guess it's all political.

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