Companion House and Senate bills are seeking silver dollars to commemorate John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. Kennedy served from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.
Named the "President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act," the House (H.R.3274) and Senate (S.1568) bills call for up to 500,000 silver dollars with designs emblematic of JFK’s life and legacy. The United States Mint would produce them in collector qualities of proof and uncirculated and offer them for sale during calendar year 2020.
The bills were introduced on July 17, 2017 by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and John McCain (R-AZ) and Reps. Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) and Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04). The lawmakers, members of the John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission, introduced the legislation as part of this year’s President Kennedy Centennial celebration (jfkcentennial.org). Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917.
"My family and I are grateful for the efforts of Senator Markey, Senator McCain, Majority Leader McCarthy, Congressman Kennedy, and the members of the John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission for their leadership in introducing legislation to mint a coin in honor of my father," Ambassador Caroline Kennedy said in a statement.
"As President Kennedy becomes a part of history, we hope that the coin may be an enduring symbol of his call for service and the idea that each of us can make a difference."
Designs for the commemorative coins would be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consulting with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Commission of Fine Arts.
The $1 coins would be minted in at least 90% silver to a weight of 26.73 grams and a diameter of 1.500 inches. They would also bear standard inscriptions designating their face value and 2020 for the year of issue, plus Liberty, In God We Trust, United States of America, and E Pluribus Unum.
Each silver dollar sold would include a $10 surcharge to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (www.jfklibrary.org).
Both pieces of legislation were referred to committees. For the act to become law, it must pass in the House and Senate and get signed by the President.
2014-Dated Coin Celebrated 50th anniversary of Kennedy 50c Series
Every year since 1964, the U.S. Mint has struck Kennedy half-dollars in circulation quality, along with related collector versions. In addition, the U.S. Mint in 2014 released three special products to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series.
Those products included a 2-coin anniversary clad uncirculated set, a 4-coin anniversary silver coin collection, and an anniversary proof gold half-dollar.
So what is the significance of a Kennedy coin in 2020? Am I missing something here?
JFK’s 103rd birthday!
Why wasn’t it minted this year? It would have went well with the 225th mint anniversary 🙂 I didn’t know people celebrated 225th, now I know they celebrate the 103rd now too.
Here you go Rodney! More JFK’s! 🙂
@NW Robert: But it’s not a half dollar, so not for me. I wish that they had made the kennedy half out if silver that was in the apollo set. I suppose they got the silver price anyways so the Mint doesn’t care.
If they wanted to do some novel they could have proposed a platinum kennedy half dollar instead of this
And the 26 grams has me puzzled?
It is crazy that Congress approved a Robert Francis Kennedy commemorative silver dollar back in 1998 that the Mint produced, but never approved a commemorative silver dollar for JFK.
-NumisDudeTx
Got burned on the 2014 silver set, so am not sure there is that much interest at this late date in history. With half a million I don’t see great upside. Anyway, the Kennedy half was already a commemorative of sorts.
We already have a half dollar coin & the 2014 coin. Do we really need another JFK coin?
JFK was a democrat so Trump probably won’t sign the bill. So not to worry.
A Kennedy silver dollar might be good. But yea, why now?
I would buy one. Of course they will produce special sets with the half dollar as well.
This sounds like an odd coin to me and one of the main things that I collect is kennedy halves. As other people have said, why now? Plus, that is an odd weight. I could not figure out if the silver content is going to be 26.73 grams or if the coin is going to weigh 26.73 grams total. That’s peculiar because if my math is right, a one troy ounce coin weighs 31.1 grams and if it is 90% silver it would have 27.99 grams of silver in it. So where in the world did they come up with… Read more »
At least the Mint has to go and get new designs but knowing them they might just try to push the current design (laziness at work) …. if the law is passed.
Rodney Moore –
The 26.73 grams weight of silver dollars goes back to 1840 on the Seated Liberty silver dollars & all 90% silver dollar coins since then except the Trade Dollars which weighed 27.22 grams meant for use in China to compete with the silver coins of Mexico that weighed more. All Morgan & Peace silver dollars weigh 26.73 grams & all commemorative silver dollars since 1983 weigh 26.73 grams also.
-NumisDudeTx
It should be Jack & his sisters and bothers, Mother Rose., She was a saint in her own right. Lets face it every body & I mean every body,weather you amitt it or not. I would love to have 1/16 of your strength. A true woman, she has a big heart of Love. She knows everything is in Gods Hands. You screw up, & know what your do,ing . I do not care who you think you are. You will pay big coin, if you know what I mean. If you do not know what I mean there still time.… Read more »
The JFK Halves without a doubt is the most popular coin on the planet. The mint engravers continue to deflate this coin by adding surcharges gimmicks cheap clad coins which I refuse to buy. I collect rare coins and the metals that go into making the coin is no doubt very important. I noticed that the mint decided to make a JFK halves in low mintage that was laughable, no kidding oh and limited production to almost none per person. Well they can have their low mintage junk coin made of copper and nickel. I collect rare coins and this… Read more »