United States Mint Announces Release of Kennedy Half-Dollar Coin 50th Anniversary Products

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Mint will produce three products commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Kennedy half-dollar coin in 2014.  Information about these products is below.

Orders will be accepted at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468), while hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT.  A fee of $4.95 will be added to all domestic orders for shipping and handling. 

All purchases of these products will be subject to an order limit of five of each product per household.  The bureau will re-evaluate the order limit as necessary over the period these products are available for sale. 

50^th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Gold Proof Coin (product code K15) – price to be determined

This coin will be struck at the United States Mint's facility in West Point and will contain three-quarters of a troy ounce of .9999 fine, 24-karat gold.  Inscriptions on the obverse (heads) include the dual years "1964-2014."  The encapsulated coin is packaged in a single, custom-designed, brown mahogany hardwood presentation case with removable coin well.  A certificate of authenticity, signed by United States Mint Deputy Director Richard A. Peterson, accompanies each coin. 

The United States Mint will open sales for this product on Aug. 5, 2014, at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  This product will also be available for purchase in-person starting Aug. 5 at the 2014 Chicago World's Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill.  Pricing will be in accordance with the United States Mint pricing schedule for gold coins, which is available at www.usmint.gov/catalog. 

50^th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Silver Coin Collection (product code K13) – $99.95

The set is composed of four coins—one from each of the United States Mint's production facilities—struck in 90 percent silver in four finishes:

• One reverse proof coin from the United States Mint at West Point
• One proof coin from the United States Mint at Philadelphia
• One enhanced uncirculated coin from the United States Mint at San Francisco, and
• One uncirculated coin from the United States Mint at Denver.

Each coin features the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar coin design, but is inscribed with the year 2014.  The encapsulated coins are secured in coin wells within an embossed leatherette-type folder that includes the same image of John F. Kennedy that appears on the coins in this set, with patriotic imagery of stars and stripes.  The removable capsules allow visibility of both sides of the coins, which are housed on packaging that can be displayed as a trifold or stored and protected by an outer sleeve.  The United States Mint logo is on the front of the folder, and the Department of the Treasury seal is on the back.  A booklet with information and images about the design of the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar coin and a certificate of authenticity accompany each set. 

The United States Mint is scheduled to release this in the fall of 2014. 

50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Uncirculated Coin Set (product code K14) – $9.95

This set will contain two uncirculated quality coins—one each from the bureau's facilities at Philadelphia and Denver.  Each coin features the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar coin design on the coin, but is inscribed with the year 2014.  The coins are encapsulated and mounted on a card, which is housed in a folder that allows visibility of both sides of the coins.  The front of the folder bears the United States Mint logo and the words "50^th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Uncirculated Coin Set."  Coin design descriptions, coin specifications, a certificate of authenticity, and the official seal of the Department of the Treasury are printed on the back of the card.   

The front cover for the folder features an enlarged partial image of the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar coin obverse, with the number "five" and an image of the coin's obverse representing the "0" in the number "50."  The inside of the folder has an enlarged partial image of the coin's reverse (tails side), with smaller images of the coin's obverse and reverse, and information about the 50^th anniversary of the coin design. 

The United States Mint will open sales for this set July 24, 2014, at noon EDT. 

Coin Design

The obverse (heads) design of each coin depicts a portrait of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy— the youngest person ever elected to the office—by former United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Gilroy Roberts.  Roberts based this profile on a portrait prepared for Kennedy's presidential medal.  He created his original 1964 design shortly after Kennedy's assassination.

The coins' reverse (tails) design is based on United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Frank Gasparro's rendition of the Presidential Seal, which consists of a heraldic eagle with a shield on its breast, holding a symbolic olive branch and a bundle of 13 arrows.  A ring of 50 stars surrounds the design, which gives this coin the distinction of having more stars than any other United States coin ever produced for circulation.

About the United States Mint

The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792 and became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873.  It is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce.  The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins.  The United States Mint's numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to the taxpayer.

Note:  To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on-sale dates at noon EDT shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored.  For more information, please review the United States Mint's Frequently Asked Questions, Answer ID #175.

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SOURCE United States Mint