Do you see many Kennedy Halves in Circulation? You should.

1630Boston

2023 Kennedy Half Dollar Mintage Highest Since 1983

In addition to cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters, the U.S. Mint also produces dollars and half dollars in circulating quality. While the Federal Reserve no longer orders Native American $1 coins, the U.S. Mint continues to make them in circulating quality for numismatic products sold to coin collectors. This practice was also true for Kennedy half dollars until recently, specifically starting in 2021.

Typically, in January, the U.S. Mint produces both denominations in the expected amounts needed for the entire year. However, this remains the case only for Native American dollars, as Kennedy halves saw their mintages increase in multiple months in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

In the fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly ordered millions of Kennedy half dollars for circulation. They were also produced for general circulation in 2023, with the total struck increasing significantly: 13.19 million in November, 19.71 million in October, 6.3 million in September, 4.8 million in August, 3.2 million in July, 1.7 million in May, 2.5 million in April, 2.2 million in March, and 4.4 million in January.

from CoinNews.net https://www.coinnews.net/2024/01/19/u-s-mint-produces-11-38-billion-coins-for-circulation-in-2023-lowest-since-2012/

Manifest_Destiny

I still doubt we'll see any in circulation though.

BryceM

Interesting. I wonder where they're all going....... Maybe just supplying all the roll searchers??

Certainly they aren't circulating around where I live. In the 1980s I'd get them in change occasionally. Now, when I try to spend them people act like they've never seen one before.

Crypto

Parking at bullets games in the 80s was 4.50, they always had a stack of Kennedys to give change I got a 67 40% one game and it made my day.

DBSTrader2

I don't see any in circulation or at my banks, and I have to beg for help just keeping current with them each year, since I'd hate to break my streak of years collected for that coin. But I really dislike when the Mint produces & then doesn't circulate coins - - just saving them to overcharge collectors for. Just stop producing them.......... (yeah, I know.... seignorage.....)

jesbroken

I cannot remember seeing either a Kennedy Half, an Eisenhower Dollar nor an SBA Dollar EVER given me in change in the last 50 years. Maybe an SBA 40 years ago, but was probably given out as a quarter. I have often gotten rolls from the bank, but never in change.
Jim

Manifest_Destiny

Back in the 80's the coin shop I used to visit often gave out Kennedy's in change as well as dateless buffs and common wheats.

privatecoin

That's the largest mintage since 1996. Definitely an interesting question of what their plan is on needing that many.

291fifth

Joeycoins placed a large order!

johnny9434

I got 2 2021s by luck by asking when I saw them otherwise I never see them

Project Numismatics

I’ve always wondered where the halves go. I’ve never received one.

I do recall receiving golden dollars as change on some train station ticket machines over the years.

The golden dollars are used extensively in Ecuador where the official currency is the US dollar.

MarkKelley

I get four $500 boxes of halves weekly from my bank. A year or so ago for three weeks in a row, they were ALL 2021-P dated coins. Since then, I've gotten many more, but not all at once like that. I've also gotten dozens of rolls of 2022-P and 2023-D coins. And, just to keep things interesting, a few weeks ago I got an entire box of 1997-D coins. God only knows where these had been hiding for 27 years.

Manifest_Destiny

@MarkKelley said:
I get four $500 boxes of halves weekly from my bank. A year or so ago for three weeks in a row, they were ALL 2021-P dated coins. Since then, I've gotten many more, but not all at once like that. I've also gotten dozens of rolls of 2022-P and 2023-D coins. And, just to keep things interesting, a few weeks ago I got an entire box of 1997-D coins. God only knows where these had been hiding for 27 years.

How do you cash those in?

PipestonePete

@jesbroken said:
I cannot remember seeing either a Kennedy Half, an Eisenhower Dollar nor an SBA Dollar EVER given me in change in the last 50 years. Maybe an SBA 40 years ago, but was probably given out as a quarter. I have often gotten rolls from the bank, but never in change.
Jim

I received a Kennedy half dollar in change this past weekend at an antique shop.

element159

@Project Numismatics said:
I’ve always wondered where the halves go. I’ve never received one.

I do recall receiving golden dollars as change on some train station ticket machines over the years.

The golden dollars are used extensively in Ecuador where the official currency is the US dollar.

The halves also circulate in Ecuador, maybe these are going there and/or other countries where the US dollar is used.

MarkKelley

@Manifest_Destiny said:

@MarkKelley said:
I get four $500 boxes of halves weekly from my bank. A year or so ago for three weeks in a row, they were ALL 2021-P dated coins. Since then, I've gotten many more, but not all at once like that. I've also gotten dozens of rolls of 2022-P and 2023-D coins. And, just to keep things interesting, a few weeks ago I got an entire box of 1997-D coins. God only knows where these had been hiding for 27 years.

How do you cash those in?

I take 'em to a different bank in sealed $1000 bags.

Jimnight

I haven't seen a Kennedy half dollar in circulation in quite some time.

CaptHenway

No. My bank saves me all of the $2 bills, dollar coins and half dollars that they get in, and they almost never have any halves.

Dug13

About a month ago, I used one as part of payment for lunch at the company cafeteria, both cashiers had to do a double take and asked if it was a dollar. Both said they have never seen one. ( both ladies were in early 30's).

bsshog40

Last time I seen kennedys was about 4 yrs ago. My wife use to be a manager at home goods. When she was counting cash boxes one night, she pulled out about a half a dozen 40%'ers.

124Spider

It's exceedingly rare that I use cash for a purchase, so it is exceedingly unlikely that I ever again will see a half dollar in circulation.

CRHer700

@291fifth said:
Joeycoins placed a large order!

No, it was me! I needed to get my totals up!

CRHer700

I seriously think that all the new demand comes from us roll searchers having picked all the silver out in the last twenty years. I mean twenty years ago there were a lot more silvers out there. Just go over to Treasure Net and read their coin roll hunting forum from its beginning in 2006. You’ll see that roll searching in halves seemed to peak around 2008-2010, before finds tapered off and most of them quit the hobby after 2012. Us stragglers have really cleaned up recently as well, especially @Kurisu . My past maybe $5000 worth of halves have had no silver. I’m still trying though, and will be till I can’t anymore. On with the hunt! Silver! Silver! Silver! Silver! Silver!
I can hear you cheering with me! Silver! Silver!

cladking

@1630Boston said:
2023 Kennedy Half Dollar Mintage Highest Since 1983

In addition to cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters, the U.S. Mint also produces dollars and half dollars in circulating quality. While the Federal Reserve no longer orders Native American $1 coins, the U.S. Mint continues to make them in circulating quality for numismatic products sold to coin collectors. This practice was also true for Kennedy half dollars until recently, specifically starting in 2021.

Typically, in January, the U.S. Mint produces both denominations in the expected amounts needed for the entire year. However, this remains the case only for Native American dollars, as Kennedy halves saw their mintages increase in multiple months in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

In the fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly ordered millions of Kennedy half dollars for circulation. They were also produced for general circulation in 2023, with the total struck increasing significantly: 13.19 million in November, 19.71 million in October, 6.3 million in September, 4.8 million in August, 3.2 million in July, 1.7 million in May, 2.5 million in April, 2.2 million in March, and 4.4 million in January.

from CoinNews.net https://www.coinnews.net/2024/01/19/u-s-mint-produces-11-38-billion-coins-for-circulation-in-2023-lowest-since-2012/

Mebbe the waffled half dollars from China are being salted with real ones now days.

Sapyx

People keep ordering boxes of half dollars. The banks, and therefore the Reserve Bank and Treasury, have no alternative but to interpret this as demand for the coins in circulation, and therefore order more production from the Mint.

They are unaware that virtually all of this "demand" is created purely from treasure-hunters, who do not actually want to spend or use half dollars but who wish to search through the boxes of already-existing half dollars for silver and who don't actually want the government to produce more coins, as these new coins are unwanted by them and do nothing except dilute the silver still out there.

oih82w8

I have used them and Ike's as tips when we go out to eat...but it has been a while.

Kurisu

@CRHer700 said:
I seriously think that all the new demand comes from us roll searchers having picked all the silver out in the last twenty years. I mean twenty years ago there were a lot more silvers out there. Just go over to Treasure Net and read their coin roll hunting forum from its beginning in 2006. You’ll see that roll searching in halves seemed to peak around 2008-2010, before finds tapered off and most of them quit the hobby after 2012. Us stragglers have really cleaned up recently as well, especially @Kurisu . My past maybe $5000 worth of halves have had no silver. I’m still trying though, and will be till I can’t anymore. On with the hunt! Silver! Silver! Silver! Silver! Silver!
I can hear you cheering with me! Silver! Silver!

Sometimes it's a few boxes in a row with no silver and then it's everywhere for a few boxes.
I was really surprised just a couple weeks ago when a box that looked like it was all fresh 2023 rolls turned out to actually be nearly all 2023s but had a bunch of silver mixed in that was mostly Franklins!

Lots of rolls that looked like this when I opened them...

BLUEJAYWAY

One of my local metal recycling centers has been paying out with a Kennedy, when the change merits it, for many years. The only time I receive one anywhere, when I bring metal to the center.

Extremeengineer

@Manifest_Destiny said:
I still doubt we'll see any in circulation though.

I received one in change at one of the casinos here in MI.

Fraz

One hire in every store tells the rest of the employees to save the halves.

olympicsos

They're definitely being ordered for Ecuador and El Salvador. There's no way coin roll hunters should amount to much.

ndeagles

When I was in college there was a street food vendor that priced his combo at $4.50, he would always give a half dollar as change. Most people put the halves into his tip jar, I always kept the half and gave a dollar bill.

VTchaser

I just dumped 2,000 back into circulation, so hope that helps lol

Tom147

Personally, I think when people do get halves in change, they just take them home and they go " in the change jar ". Now who here doesn't have a " change jar " ?

DrBuster

I spent a couple in the past 2 weeks or so with tips, always enjoyed. Folks with kids love them and I tell them to put them in the piggy banks.

logger7

In these parts I don't think I've ever seen a Kennedy half circulating, wish it weren't so.

jesbroken

Not very many coin trays in cash registers even have a opening for halves and certainly not dollars. Tough on companies who therefore aren't likely to pickup any at the bank.
Jim

Bochiman

I found some 2023 halves in December at my local casino (non-Nevada).
I was a bit shocked.

BLUEJAYWAY

Few years ago I got $220.00 worth of Kennedy's. Turned them over into the wild for purchases. Mainly at convenient stores for coffee,milk and other staples. Clerks took them, but a few gave me a quizzical look. Took awhile to dole them out.

jedm

Went to the movies last night and as usual I received a Kennedy half in change. I used it an hour later at the store. So in Columbus NE they still circulate.

CRHer700

@VTchaser said:
I just dumped 2,000 back into circulation, so hope that helps lol

Do you search them? I’m asking because it appears that you are dumping a full box. If you would like to post your finds, you can do that in the coin roll and mint set thread. You’ll always be welcome there.

skamieniecki

There is an automatic touchless car wash in Tacoma Washington that gives only Susie's, Sacajawea, and Presidential dollar coins in change for tens and twenties.

1630Boston

@jedm said:
Went to the movies last night and as usual I received a Kennedy half in change. I used it an hour later at the store. So in Columbus NE they still circulate.

That is amazing to me

BillJones

Kennedy Half Dollars have been hoarded in quantity for many years, since the design was introduced in 1964. When I was dealer, I was amazed at the number of times I saw JFK half dollars in non collector accumulations.

Keeping them made no sense. The were clad coins that contained no silver, and they had no numismatic value. Yet there they were. The owners were often amazed when I told them to the coins to the bank and get the face value for them.

VTchaser

@CRHer700 said:

@VTchaser said:
I just dumped 2,000 back into circulation, so hope that helps lol

Do you search them? I’m asking because it appears that you are dumping a full box. If you would like to post your finds, you can do that in the coin roll and mint set thread. You’ll always be welcome there.

Yes, i do search them. It was 2 boxes of $500 each. I also had a $500 quarter box, and a $25 box of pennies.

1 40% kennedy, 5 W quarters, and a ton of wheaties ~20 with earliest at 1922.

cladking

BU rolls are far tougher than many believe. some "common dates" wholesale as much as $32 per roll despite the lack of demand or respect. Of course the '82-P goes for $130 per roll but is rarely considered a common date.

Nice attractive coins are quite elusive for many of these dates. BU roll coins where you can find them are poorly made and mint set coins have scratches or deep shallow gouges like the '80-D. Nice chBU '80-D half dollars are far tougher than many realize.

If people were collecting these several really tough dates would emerge.

Elmhurst

Got a 68 in change a few years ago, the chances of that happening again are slim to none, and Slim is out of town.

Jacques_Loungecoque

The only time I see them is when folks are down to their last nitty gritty change jar. That’s when you’ll see the Kennedys, Ike’s, SBAs, etc…. Often time I’ll see some proof coinage mixed in. Likely someone popped sets and just sacrificing it to get that last pack of smokes or whatever until payday.

Elmhurst

@Jacques_Loungecoque said:
The only time I see them is when folks are down to their last nitty gritty change jar. That’s when you’ll see the Kennedys, Ike’s, SBAs, etc…. Often time I’ll see some proof coinage mixed in. Likely someone popped sets and just sacrificing it to get that last pack of smokes or whatever until payday.

That’s about it, just add the bicentennial quarters that have lost 75% to inflation.

CRHer700

@VTchaser said:

@CRHer700 said:

@VTchaser said:
I just dumped 2,000 back into circulation, so hope that helps lol

Do you search them? I’m asking because it appears that you are dumping a full box. If you would like to post your finds, you can do that in the coin roll and mint set thread. You’ll always be welcome there.

Yes, i do search them. It was 2 boxes of $500 each. I also had a $500 quarter box, and a $25 box of pennies.

1 40% kennedy, 5 W quarters, and a ton of wheaties ~20 with earliest at 1922.

5 Ws from a box! That’s exceptional! Also, that 1922-D cent is a very tough find in the wild. If you could, I would appreciate it if you post your finds in the coin roll and mint set thread so the other searchers can see what you have found.

VTchaser

@CRHer700 said:

@VTchaser said:

@CRHer700 said:

@VTchaser said:
I just dumped 2,000 back into circulation, so hope that helps lol

Do you search them? I’m asking because it appears that you are dumping a full box. If you would like to post your finds, you can do that in the coin roll and mint set thread. You’ll always be welcome there.

Yes, i do search them. It was 2 boxes of $500 each. I also had a $500 quarter box, and a $25 box of pennies.

1 40% kennedy, 5 W quarters, and a ton of wheaties ~20 with earliest at 1922.

5 Ws from a box! That’s exceptional! Also, that 1922-D cent is a very tough find in the wild. If you could, I would appreciate it if you post your finds in the coin roll and mint set thread so the other searchers can see what you have found.

Will do! I don't hunt too often. I'll pickup 2 or 3 boxes when i know i'm going to have a slow weekend.