THE 1964 KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR ROUNDS OUT THE AMERICAN LEGACY COLLECTION
Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osborne Mint, America’s oldest private mint, announced the addition of the fourth and final collectible round to its iconic American Legacy Collection™. This round honors the 1964 Kennedy Silver Half Dollar, one of the least circulated and most significant coins in American currency history.
The Osborne Mint’s replica of the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar is 39.1 mm in diameter, over 10% larger than the original U.S. Government’s minted coin. The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar was made of 90% silver while the collectible round is one full troy ounce of .999 pure fine silver. This piece, which is the fourth and final installment in the American Legacy Collection, was designed to honor and memorialize both the coin and the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Modern techniques allowed Osborne Mint to engrave this round ten times deeper than standard rounds, enabling an enhanced view of all the details. The convex shape of the round highlights this artistic detail – the relief is so deep that the round an actually hold water. The reverse of the round a mirror image of the front. Each round is individually edge numbered and certified to the highest of minting standards by Osborne Mint.
Jeff Stegman, CEO of Osborne Coinage, parent company of Osborne Mint shared “…it is an honor to replicate these historic pieces of American currency. The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar is my personal favorite from the American Legacy Collection™. Like all Americans, I remember where I was when I heard the news of Kennedy’s assassination and the impact of that day places this collectible round at an extreme intrinsic value to me.”
The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar was the fastest to market coinage ever commissioned by the United States Mint. The discussion of a commemorative Kennedy coin began in a matter of weeks after the assassination, and production of the coin was completed in just five months. It took an act of Congress to authorize the creation of this new currency. The grieving widow was given the choice of the quarter or the half dollar for this treasured memorialization. She selected the half dollar as she did not want to remove President George Washington from United States currency.
A year earlier when President Kennedy took office, he requested that a commemorative medal be crafted to celebrate his Presidency. Famed US Mint sculptors Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparo took on the project. Working with President John F. Kennedy the design duo created a medal that was instantly approved. It was the art from this Presidential medal, approved by President Kennedy himself, which was re-purposed for the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar, speeding up the engraving process immensely. Prior to minting, Jacqueline Kennedy gave final approval of the coin after asking for some minor detail changes.
With approval on many levels the initial strike was for 70,000 coins to be circulated from the Denver and Philadelphia mints. These coins disappeared in a day. Original plans included minting 91 million 1964 Kennedy Half Dollars, but because of the demand that number was modified to 141 million by year’s end. The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar was the only version to be minted from 90% silver, following strikes consisted of 40% silver. Despite the increasing production quantities, these coins were immediately scarce. The original 1964 half dollars were hoarded, cherished and to this day are still in high demand.
The numerous distinctions that the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar accumulated, along with the purpose of immortalizing one of the most popular Presidents of the 20th century, are core reasons why Osborne Mint selected this particular version for the American Legacy Collection. The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar complements well the other the collectibles in the American Legacy Collection: the 1913 Buffalo Nickel, the 1893 Morgan Silver Dollar and the 1909-S Lincoln (Wheat) Penny. Each of the rounds can be requested in three finishes: high polished proof, antiqued and gold tone overlay for the two-tone look. Each round is individually serialized, given a numbered certificate of authenticity and packaged individually in an airtight curved collector’s capsule. The reverse side of the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar, as all the rounds in the collection, is marked with the distinction of being 1 oz .999 pure silver and with the Osborne Mint logo. Being struck at Osborne Mint means these pieces are made 100% in the United States of America and are to be coveted for their precision, quality and intricate detail.
The release of this round coincides with the 56th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination on November 22nd and the December 7th christening of the Ford Class aircraft carrier that bears the John F. Kennedy name. This re-interpreted round is not to be confused as a replica coin; this Osborne Mint piece is a commemorative round that honors the extraordinary uniqueness and collectibility of the original 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar. The detail and precision delivered in these collectible rounds are attributes that serious numismatists and casual collectors will find desirable. Proof finish is currently available on Osborne Mint’s e-commerce, Shop The Mint. Only 5,000 rounds will be struck.
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Established in 1835, Osborne Mint is America’s oldest continuously operating private mint. Osborne Mint is part of the Osborne Coinage family, which includes Osborne Coin, TokensDirect and Van Brook of Lexington. The mint, a 60,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, houses development, engraving and manufacturing of numismatic quality collectible rounds and coins. Products made by Osborne are manufactured to strict standards for metal purity, weight and dimensions. Osborne Mint strikes thousands of collectible rounds annually and circulates them to the public through certified distributors. You will also soon be able to purchase their collectible rounds through their brand-new e-commerce portal for numismatics. Featured collections include designs by Lisa Parker, Anne Stokes’ Dragons, The Galaxies and Nebulae and The American Legacy Collection. Gold plate, fine silver and copper collections from Osborne Mint are truly pieces of art and are 100% “Made in America.”
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article updated 2/20/2020.
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