1964 Kennedy Half-Dollars
From its very release, the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar was highly esteemed as a collection piece. Just one month after the assassination of the beloved American President, Congress authorized the creation of this commemorative coin as a memorial. The 1964 edition is unique among Kennedy half-dollars, being the only one to feature 90 percent silver. Of course, to history buffs and coin collectors, the piece’s real value comes from its cultural significance. Serving as President from 1961 to 1963, Kennedy took place in some of the twentieth century’s most iconic moments, from the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to the Space Race and the creation of the Berlin Wall. The public was so outraged at his death that when this commemorative coin was released in 1964, all 70,000 initially produced were gone by the end of the first day.