Reconsidering the half dollar

Overdate · July 20, 2010 10:30AM

Kennedy halves haven't been minted for circulation since 2001, and are rarely seen in change. But the series goes on year after year in collector sets and rolls. The design never changes except for the date.

I think the half dollar should be discontinued. Or at least the coin should display something on the reverse other than the presidential seal. Since the half is the largest size current coin, it would have ample room for a series of reverses honoring American artists, inventors, composers, authors and others who have contributed to America's heritage.

What do you think?

Cladiator · July 20, 2010 10:38AM

I think I've had enough of coins with ever changing commemorative reverse designs. Had enough of presidents on the obverse too.

AMRC · July 20, 2010 10:47AM

I think it is a half dollar. Not as good as a dollar but twice as nice as a quarter. I think that enough of them in Bongo's trunk would give his bald tires better traction on the rain slick road of life. I think that if you stopped making them, someone, somewhere, would actually think it mattered in the grand scheme of things and it would give them drive, cause, and a narrative to stand up to the man. You would give them a life! I think we should put Bill Clinton on them. He just seems right for the half dollar. Not sure why though, but can't you just see his big hair and that half-past 6:00 look on his face on the obverse? I think they should colorize them at the mint in 2011. Add crystals for the eyes and a bow tie. Yes a bow-tie. What happened to the bow-tie after all? Can anyone think of a coin with a bowtie?

I could go on but now I am bored.

edited for spelling.

Bossman88 · July 20, 2010 11:51AM

Strike them only in 90% Silver and get rid of the Clad junk.
If they are for the collectors make em worth collecting.
I for one would love to see a well struck uncirculated Silver Half again.

Regards, Larry

DCW · July 20, 2010 12:37PM

"I think I've had enough of coins with ever changing commemorative reverse designs."

Seriously. I would just like to see some new coinage.

Something else to ponder, when are we going to stop copying the designs of the past? (ie buffaloes, st gaudens eagles, walking liberty halves) Are there no designer/engravers out there with any kind of VISION anymore???

melvin289 · July 20, 2010 12:47PM

<< "I think I've had enough of coins with ever changing commemorative reverse designs."

Seriously. I would just like to see some new coinage.

Something else to ponder, when are we going to stop copying the designs of the past? (ie buffaloes, st gaudens eagles, walking liberty halves) Are there no designer/engravers out there with any kind of VISION anymore??? >>

The age the designers are now we need to be careful.
Don't say that too loud we may get the Mario Brothers or Lara Kroft.

Ron

Caleb · July 20, 2010 1:13PM

<< Strike them only in 90% Silver and get rid of the Clad junk.
If they are for the collectors make em worth collecting.
I for one would love to see a well struck uncirculated Silver Half again.

Regards, Larry

>>

Get rid of the "Spaghetti Hair", the cheap arrows and put the Mint Mark back on the reverse.

ricko · July 20, 2010 10:20PM

I would like to see an end to the commercial ads (SHQ's) and dead presidents - especially those who did nothing but die. Bring back art, patriotism and life to the designs. Cheers, RickO

lcoopie · July 20, 2010 10:40PM

<< I would like to see an end to the commercial ads (SHQ's) and dead presidents - especially those who did nothing but die. Bring back art, patriotism and life to the designs. Cheers, RickO >>

I agree,
said another way

end the politics of coinage

JBN · July 20, 2010 11:23PM

Bring back the Walking Liberty reverse!!

It is an amazingly beautiful rendition of our Eagle.

Steve27 · July 21, 2010 12:12AM

I think the half dollar will never again be used in daily commerce, due to its size, and thus should be discontinued. Amazingly, I was able to use a Sac to pay for part of my fair on the Washington Metro yesterday, but the machine will not accept half dollars.

CaptHenway · July 21, 2010 12:53AM

<< I think the half dollar will never again be used in daily commerce, due to its size, and thus should be discontinued. Amazingly, I was able to use a Sac to pay for part of my fair on the Washington Metro yesterday, but the machine will not accept half dollars. >>

Nor will the CTA's fare boxes.
I've tried.
TD

nankraut · July 21, 2010 1:04AM

<< 

<< "I think I've had enough of coins with ever changing commemorative reverse designs."

Seriously. I would just like to see some new coinage.

Something else to ponder, when are we going to stop copying the designs of the past? (ie buffaloes, st gaudens eagles, walking liberty halves) Are there no designer/engravers out there with any kind of VISION anymore??? >>

The age the designers are now we need to be careful.
Don't say that too loud we may get the Mario Brothers or Lara Kroft.

Ron >>

Who???

scottgardener · July 21, 2010 5:28AM

The mint has gotten better and worse at the same time. Some of the Statehood quarters have turned out some interesting stuff, but it does remind me of how postage stamp collecting became so daunting a few years back as to drive people out of it. That, and a lot of the Statehood quarters look pretty cluttered. I like the new reverse of the one cent--simple and elegant. It's an improvement over the Memorial design, but still not as nice as the old wheat cents. Some of the best Statehood quarters are the ones with simple designs, like Connecticut's tree.

As much as I favor honoring our past Presidents, I think their portraits were a move downhill. Like many numismatists, I consider the Theodore Roosevelt / Augustus Saint Gaudens era the best aesthetic period of American coinage--though I'm also fond of the flowing hair and draped bust coinage we had before the fat lady portrait took over everything in 1808.

Modern coins are too flat. To get all the tiny detail--which often looks cluttered--they sacrifice relief. We have the technology to do better relief today than we did in the 1900s or 1920s; why can't we use it?

And, ripping off old designs is getting tiresome, I agree. As beautiful as the walking liberty half and Saint Gaudens $20 obverses were, they feel rehashed on modern bullion coins. The ultra-high relief 2008 Saint Gaudens Eagle is a noteworthy exception, and I feel it is more a reminder of what we COULD be doing with coins today, even if its design is a point-of-honor "we did it, at last" remake of a design from over 100 years ago.

What I'd like to see is a return to the design intentions of the 1900s through 1930s, with more of a sense of fine art and of abstract ideals, rather than in-your-face "bling" and noise. But, I guess I'm just getting crotchety in my old age. (I'm 37.)

I do appreciate some of the recent experimentation with something other than the traditional profile. The newer illustrations showing front and angled views help make the persons pictured appear more life-like and human--one gets a sense that Thomas Jefferson was a real person. I grant, though, that this contradicts my own call for abstract ideals just last paragraph. But, if we have to stick with illustrating Founding Fathers, Presidents, and other persons of historic significance, then at least those illustrations should be well-done.

As for the Kennedy Half, I feel that it should be discontinued. If we are no longer minting it for circulation, we should pull it from our mint sets as well. The equipment and resources going towards their mintage could then go instead towards $1 coins or towards ads convincing people that they're a nice idea.

giorgio11 · July 21, 2010 5:42AM

I love Kennedy halves--(although not as much as Caleb

)--but don't want the reverse only changed. I want the entire design changed. I'm sick of dead presidents on coins. Live ones, too, for that matter. It's a crime that coins from 100 years ago are considered superior artistry. But they are.

DBSTrader2 · March 21, 2018 10:30AM

We've honored JFK long enough. Time to return to Franklin halves, and give the statesman, inventor, and true Renaissance Man's series its deserved full run.............. Who's with me?!

carabonnair · March 21, 2018 10:58AM

I'm with you in your quixotic quest!

topstuf · March 21, 2018 11:00AM

@DBSTrader2 said:
We've honored JFK long enough. Time to return to Franklin halves, and give the statesman, inventor, and true Renaissance Man's series its deserved full run.............. Who's with me?!

A few million blind people?

mvs7 · March 21, 2018 11:11AM

Eight years goes by and nothing's changed. Basically our presidential coins in microcosm. With generalized motifs such as Liberty and eagles, you didn't have special interest groups like the state of Virginia or Montecello.org fighting against changing coin designs because they'd reduce tourism.

DBSTrader2 · March 21, 2018 11:12AM

_"A few million blind people? "
_
topstuff............. How'd you know I was going blind?

scooter25 · March 21, 2018 11:22AM

I think it is nice to have a coin that is consistent. I love collecting them and always will. How many varieties of quarters and dollars do we have?! We dont need to constantly change a coin to keep it interesting.

Kkathyl · March 21, 2018 11:25AM

I am surprised they have not put MM on the Reverse.

Jimnight · March 21, 2018 11:28AM

I would like to see change.

topstuf · March 21, 2018 11:31AM

If it's to be to encourage tourism, I suggest this as a pattern.

DIMEMAN · March 21, 2018 11:49AM

The days of pretty coins with beautiful designs are gone.........FOREVER!!!! We just have to accept that and collect pre 1965 coins.

Elcontador · March 21, 2018 2:21PM

I think we should have a new 52 cent coin. The obverse should have a penguin and the reverse should have a photo of Anthony Wiener or Weiner, however he spells it. Instead of "In God We Trust," it should have "Caveat Emptor," or "It's Later Than You Think" written on it, instead.

USMarine6 · March 21, 2018 2:43PM

Get rid of the half and the cent

LindeDad · March 21, 2018 2:49PM

@Bossman88 said:
Strike them only in 90% Silver and get rid of the Clad junk.
If they are for the collectors make em worth collecting.
I for one would love to see a well struck uncirculated Silver Half again.

Regards, Larry

JBK · March 21, 2018 2:51PM

@mvs7 said:
Eight years goes by and nothing's changed.

They did restore the high relief portrait.

DBSTrader2 · March 21, 2018 3:16PM

can someone post side-by-side of the low vs high relief portraits?

Onastone · March 21, 2018 3:52PM

I was just thinking about this whole topic yesterday as the US Mint just released another bag of Kennedy halves for $139.95
200 coins, half from Denver, half from Philadelphia. Does anyone here buy those bags? Uncirculated but not without the bag marks... I just think the mint doesn't know what to do with the half, so year after year it just goes on. Look at the Peace Dollar....what was that, a ten year run? The Kennedy has been running now for what, 54 years? I think a shorter run like ten is nice. Anything less is awkward, like the SBA for four years...I do think the Kennedy run should stop. But I do like the idea of a half, so let's have a new half, one that is artistically graceful with Liberty and a bold Eagle. IMHO.

topstuf · March 21, 2018 5:23PM

The mint could use Coinstar.

RogerB · March 21, 2018 5:44PM

A suggestion made long ago to Dir Moy was to reduce circulating coins to stable designs for 5, 10, 25-cents, $1 and $5. Reserve the half dollar for circulating commemoratives (1 per year) and make special NCLT commemoratives only in silver and/or gold. This also obviates paper $1 and $5 bills which would cease production.

This could establish a reliable standard public coinage, a larger size commemorative half format and clear differentiation between circulating and NCLT.

privatecoin · March 21, 2018 6:09PM

Change the dime, it hasnt changed since 1946.

Zoins · March 21, 2018 6:33PM

I think it’s a travesty that the half dollar design hasn’t changed in so many years. Imagine if it changed more like our quarters or dollars

coinpalice · March 21, 2018 6:47PM

with all the rewards, airline miles, and intro 200 bonus dollars credit cards offer now, not much of any coinage circulates anymore

rln_14 · March 21, 2018 9:26PM

I like the half, keep it thanks rln

ricko · March 22, 2018 7:02AM

I like the half dollar.... always have... used to get commemoratives in change from time to time when I was a paperboy....and the WLH is just a classic beauty in American coinage... Yes, let's get rid of the dead prezzies....go back to real artistry...dump the cent and dollar bill...coins for dollars, two dollars and five dollars...and I like the idea of the halves being commemoratives and changing each year...and in silver. Cheers, RickO

Reconsidering the half dollar

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