2014 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Clad Sets are shipping. In hand, the restored 1964 Kennedy design makes these coins a winner. It’s actually almost stunning to see how much better the restored design is compared to the version on regular Kennedy half-dollars.
Before I forget, the two-coin clad sets launched on Thursday, July 24. The U.S. Mint said that sales reached 92,355 by Wednesday, July 30. Order 2014 Kennedy Half-Dollar Clad Sets from United States Mint online catalog page, located here, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
I like the set’s packaging as well. The folder and coin cards are informational, cleanly designed, sleek and thin enough that they don’t take a lot of storage space.
The two uncirculated Kennedy half-dollars, one from the Philadelphia Mint and the other from the Denver Mint, are encapsulated and bonded to a coin card.
If you’re not into the packaging or want to save on storage, you can pull the coins off from the cards. I discovered that after cutting into one. The plastic capsules are held tightly so it takes a decent amount of force to free them.
I wanted a closer look at the coins and to take clearer photos of the restored Kennedy portrait. Getting them out of their capsules was tricky, harder than prying a cemented lid from a jar of pickles. It required a combination of strong fingernails, jeweler’s screwdrivers, a prying motion, and remembering that patience is a virtue.
As it turned out, removing the top half of the capsule proved to be the easy part. It was the coin and the other half that really liked their married arrangement. I tried separating them by vibration with a sonic brush. No joy. I had no luck in buckling the plastic with a wrench. Slapping it down to try and bounce or loosen the coin was useless as well.
Eventually, the thick part of a heavier screwdriver coupled with several hard whacks on the plastic worked the coin free. But my patience wasn’t virtuous enough as the reverse was dinged along the way. I opened another coin capsule but didn’t bother taking the other half off. It was strongly mated to the coin just like the first one.
Here are two more photos of a Philadelphia-minted Kennedy coin.
In closing, I should say that I’ve never been a collector of Kennedy halves but I’m really fond of these anniversary versions with their restored 1964 design. The Mint has done a nice job and I will get all seven coins. The 24-karat 50th Anniversary Kennedy Gold Coin launches on Aug. 5 and the four-coin set of anniversary Kennedy silver coins debuts in the fall. Links to photos of the gold coin and one of the silver coins are directly below.
With the exception of two sets, all thirteen (13) sets I ordered (online; Denver gift shop, and; Philadelphia gift shop) are in-hand. I’ve already managed to flip the “sealed” case of five (5) 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollars for a significant profit over my purchase price. Let’s see how the other eight (8) do.
p.s. I find that by ordering directly from the gift shops, my coins arrive much sooner than they do when I order online (via http://www.usmint.gov).
I’m sure I’ll use this same approach during next week’s (much anticipated) release.
How can you “flip” something that hasn’t even been offered for sale, yet?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it for the 1,000,000,000,000th time etc.: The United States Mint did a fine job with the restored Kennedy product. Now, it would be more than overdue time for the Mint to finally put the Kennedy Memorial coin into it’s casket, nail it shut and bury it in the Arlington Cemetery and move on to something else. If I was a person of authority, there would no longer be Kennedy Memorial coins struck for any reason beyond November 22, 2014. 50 years is more than enough time to honor Kennedy on a coin; particularly… Read more »
@ Victor DeCurtis
I “flipped” the 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half Dollar “Clad” (2-coin) sets, which went on-sale July 24th, 2014.
Oops! Misread it. I thought it was the silver halves, you flipped.
Mike –
I’m not sure it’s patience so much as it’s perseverance – LOL. Quite an effort to just get to the bare coins. Too bad you couldn’t have gotten your friends at the mints to send you a couple unpackaged at a discount.
Hmmm, I hope I’m one of these who gets the mint’s survey. I’d like to see a minimal packaging option offered at a discount for those interested in just the coin and not all the superfluous packaging. Kind of the opposite of the grader’s first strike label.
A&L,
How do you get in contact the gift shops?
Stuart: I have to agree; fifty years is long enough for any single design, even great ones like Walking Liberties or Buffaloes. Plus the Mint’s missteps with the Kennedy series, principally continuing to mint the design in (clad) silver for half a decade, caused the denomination to be vacuumed out of circulation. Maybe a new, downsized, possibly multisided half could be issued to – one hopes – replace some fraction of the current ocean of quarters. Thoughts, comments?
got my five sets today Aug …haven’t tried to take coins out of the capsules may not as the package coins are small indeed to store not like the congratulations sets. Great looking coins though !! hope its the last year.
If the intent was to restore the 1964 design why are there mintmarks on the obverse?
@ Jack
The U.S. Mint gift shop in Denver is: 1 (303) 572-9500
The U.S. Mint gift shop in Philadelphia is: 1 (215) 408-0230
A&L –
Good idea for quick alternate source… as long as they have supplies. Then I’ll bet they have to wait along with everybody else for the mint to produce more. So best to ask about availability before ordering.
Munzen –
They did the right thing there, taking the half dollar coin out of circulation that way. Too bad they can’t figure out a way to do the same with the penny. I can’t wait for 2022 when the ATB quarters are gone and we go back (I hope) to the heraldic eagle reverse. But, alas, I’m afraid that won’t happen.
In response to Munzen, we have only the penny, nickel, dime and quarter in circulation. The Lincoln Cent needs to be retired after 105 years in circulation. Lincoln himself was only 56 when he died. That would leave only three coins in circulation. With funds being processed electronically these days, to say nothing of our paper currency, I believe the future does not look bright for cold, hard cash on the barrel head as we know it. United States currency was backed by gold and silver 100 years ago. Today, the dollar is hardly worth the paper it’s printed on,… Read more »