Kennedy 2023 Half Dollar 200-Coin Bag

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, a shocking event that reverberated across the nation and the world. Just three days later, millions of Americans watched his funeral on television, marking a moment of collective mourning.

In the wake of Kennedy’s death, the United States Mint collaborated with his family to select a coin to honor him, similar to how the penny was used to commemorate Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the late President’s widow, suggested using the half dollar to ensure that her husband’s image would not replace that of another President.

The Mint acted quickly, redesigning the half dollar to honor Kennedy, which entered circulation in March 1964, only four months after his death. On the morning of its release, banks across the country experienced long lines as people rushed to acquire the new coins, with the first 70,000 Kennedy half dollars claimed by the end of the day.