Was John F. Kennedy on a coin?

Answer 1

He isn't. He is on the Half Dollar dollar because Congress thought he deserved the honor and rushed the enabling legislation through within weeks of his assassination and the first coins were minted within three months.

Answer 2

In the weeks following his assassination there was an outpouring of sentiment for some kind of permanent memorial in the form of a commemorative or circulating coin. Initially the Mint proposed putting his picture on the quarter, but it was felt that it would not be equitable to displace Washington who was of course one of the Founding Fathers.

At that time all coins except the half-dollar carried pictures of a president, so it was instead decided to displace Franklin from the half and create a full "presidential series" of coins. The first Kennedy halves were released in February, 1964.

Unfortunately for our coinage system, the new design was quickly hoarded as a keepsake and effectively disappeared from circulation. As a result few half dollars can be found in change today, even though they were very common prior to 1964.

Answer 3

After Kennedy was assassinated, it was decided to show him on a coin. Jackie Kennedy didn't want to replace any President on other coins, so that left the half dollar, which showed Benjamin Franklin at the time.

Answer 4

The assassination of the young and popular president in 1963 shocked the world. There was a tremendous outpouring of grief and many proposals were made to honor JFK. These included renaming buildings, streets, and even cities (Cape Kennedy, Florida) for him.

There were also strong sentiments for depicting him on a coin. At first the Mint wanted to put his picture on the quarter but that was vetoed because it would require removing Washington, the first president and a Founding Father. The only coin that didn't have a presidential portrait on it at the time was the half dollar with Ben Franklin. Even though legally Franklin halves were supposed to be made up till 1974, Congress quickly passed special legislation suspending that regulation. The Mint's chief engraver Gilroy Roberts created a design incorporating elements of Kennedy's inaugural medal for the obverse and the Presidential Seal for the reverse, and the new coin entered circulation just a few months after Kennedy's death.

Unfortunately this all happened at the same time that the government was starting to deregulate silver prices. Until 1963 halves circulated regularly, and it was common to get one in change instead of multiple quarters. But most of the new JFK halves were either saved as mementos of the slain president or melted for their silver content. That, combined with the Mint's (in retrospect short-sighted) decision to continue to mint halves out of debased silver while other coins were made of copper-nickel, effectively doomed the coin's use in general circulation.

Answer 5

First off, Jackson vs. Kennedy is a no-brainer. Kennedy deserves to be on the twenty. JFK was an immensely-influential president. He was concerned about the people, the things the country was founded upon. Jackson on the other hand, he actually tried to demolish the bank. His two terms were a revolution of his career. When he was first elected, he was all for the people. Later on near the end, not only did he destroy the national bank, but he tried taking away state's rights. Compared to Kennedy, Jackson was a tyrant and his personality was a bit bipolar. By all rights, Kennedy should be put on the twenty dollar bill.

Answer 6

Been on it since 1964, that's why they are called KENNEDY halves.

The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar could be worth as much as $40. There are error coins and the JFK 1964 does contain 90% silver while coins dated 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. The value as far as silver content is based on the spot price of the day you sell it. You can never go wrong on the US Mint site.

See the related link below for another fun site fo Precious Metal Melt Value Calculators, Sterling Silver, Gold, Platinum, Palladium, U.S. Silver and Gold Coins.

Answer 7

Kennedy is on the half dollar, and this isn't a complete question.

Answer 8

Yes, he was and still is on the half dollar coin minted since 1964.

Answer 9

No George Washington is