1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Value Guide

The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Value

1964 Kennedy half dollar circulation strikes remain remarkably consistent in value between the Denver and Philadelphia versions up to the mint-state grades. The Denver version pulls away in these grades.

The specimen strikes are easily the most valuable of all 1964 Kennedy half dollars, and the accent-hair proof versions are worth significantly more than the regular ones.

An N/A for a value below indicates no publicly known examples of that version of the 1964 Kennedy half dollar with that grade, or no value information (or not enough) exists for it yet.

Additionally, all values are conservative estimates based on research. Please note all values are subject to change due to the market or circumstances unaccounted for during research and publication. We always recommend doing further research or consulting with a professional.

Melt Value

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s melt value is approximately $8. The melt value will fluctuate with the market.

Circulation Strike Value Chart

	Coin Names And Coin Values
Grade Names	1964 Kennedy Half Dollar	1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar
Good – G	$10	$10
Very Good – VG	$10	$10
Fine – F	$10	$10
Very Fine – VF	$10	$10
Extra Fine – XF	$10	$10
About Uncirculated – AU	$10-$11	$10-$11
Mint State – MS	$15-$4,900 (67+)	$15-$25,000 (68)

Specimen Strike (SP) Value Chart

1964 Specimen Kennedy Half Dollar
Grade Names	Coin Values
SP 60	N/A
SP 61	N/A
SP 62	N/A
SP 63	N/A
SP 64	N/A
SP 65	N/A
SP 66	$35,000
SP 67	$67,000
SP 68	$162,000
SP 69	N/A
SP 70	N/A

Proof Strike (PR) Value Chart

	Coin Names And Coin Values
Grade Names	1964 Proof Kennedy Half Dollar	1964 Proof Accent Hair Kennedy Half Dollar
PR 60	$10	$27
PR 61	$11	$33
PR 62	$12	$42
PR 63	$15	$55
PR 64	$20	$70
PR 65	$25	$87
PR 66	$37	$115
PR 67	$44	$170
PR 68	$65	$425
PR 69	$130	$1,100
PR 70	$2,300	N/A

Cameo (CA/CAM) Proof Strike (PR) Value Chart

	Coin Names And Coin Values
Grade Names	1964 Cameo Proof Kennedy Half Dollar	1964 Cameo Proof Accent Hair Kennedy Half Dollar
PR 60 CA/CAM	$13	N/A
PR 61 CA/CAM	$14	N/A
PR 62 CA/CAM	$16	$50
PR 63 CA/CAM	$18	$67
PR 64 CA/CAM	$26	$100
PR 65 CA/CAM	$40	$162
PR 66 CA/CAM	$62	$212
PR 67 CA/CAM	$77	$450
PR 68 CA/CAM	$130	$1,700
PR 69 CA/CAM	$380	$4,100
PR 70 CA/CAM	N/A	N/A

Ultra/Deep Cameo (UC/DCAM) Proof Strike (PR) Value Chart

	Coin Names And Coin Values
Grade Names	1964 Ultra/Deep Cameo Proof Kennedy Half Dollar	1964 Ultra/Deep Cameo Proof Accent Hair Kennedy Half Dollar
PR 60 UC/DCAM	N/A	N/A
PR 61 UC/DCAM	N/A	N/A
PR 62 UC/DCAM	N/A	N/A
PR 63 UC/DCAM	$28	$120
PR 64 UC/DCAM	$36	$220
PR 65 UC/DCAM	$65	$650
PR 66 UC/DCAM	$135	$1,500
PR 67 UC/DCAM	$207	$4,700
PR 68 UC/DCAM	$575	$14,000
PR 69 UC/DCAM	$3,300	$38,000
PR 70 UC/DCAM	N/A	N/A

What Makes A 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Valuable?

Quite a few factors make 1964 Kennedy half dollars valuable. These include their grading, rarity of some versions, minting location, strike type, design variation for proof coins, and whether or not the coin is an error coin or die variety.

Let’s start with grading.

Grading

Kennedy half dollars are worth more than their face value at all grades. 

However, all circulation-strike grades except for mint-state grades hover around $10 to $11. 

This quickly escalates to the hundreds and thousands in the mint-state grades.

Specimen strikes are worth thousands or more at all grades.

Proof strikes start in the tens and then move to the hundreds and thousands.

Rarity

The Mint minted 1964 Kennedy half dollars approximately 433,460,227 times across all of its versions. Please see the following list for the breakdown for each version:

• 1964: 273,304,004 minted in Philadelphia^1,2
• 1964-D: 156,205,446 minted in Denver^3,4
• 1964 Specimen: 15 or more, but the true amount is unknown^13,14
• 1964 Proof: 3,950,762 minted in Philadelphia^5,6
• 1964 Accent Hair Proof: Part of the above proof minting total^9,10

This coin’s high minting and hoarding make it not particularly rare in general. However, that means you’re more likely to find one in your desired grade.

Mint Marks

The Mint made 1964 Kennedy half dollars in Philadelphia and Denver.^1-4

You’ll find the mint mark on the coin’s reverse side under the eagle’s right leg (your left). 

A “D” means Denver minted the coin. The absence of a mint mark means Philadelphia minted the coin.

Both are comparable in value across all grades.

Strike Types

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar has three strike types: circulation, specimen, and proof.^13,14,17,18

The Mint intends circulation-strike coins for everyday use, so these show more wear and are of lesser quality than specimen or proof coins. 

The 1964 specimen Kennedy half dollars are interesting because they shouldn’t be around. They are not special mint set coins, unlike the 1965-1967 ones. 

Specimen is the best description for them because they have both circulation- and proof-strike qualities. They are quite rare and the most valuable out of all three strike types.

Proof strikes have higher quality, detail, and finish than circulation- and specimen-strike coins. They do add value over circulation strikes in some cases. In others, they don’t. This issue is related to their rarity when compared against one another.

Proof strikes also include cameo and ultra/deep cameo proofs. Cameo adds more value to proofs, and ultra/deep cameo adds more value to those.

Design Variations

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar has two design variations: regular and accent hair.^6,9 Both apply to the coin’s proof versions.

The accent-hair version shows extra hair above Kennedy’s ear. Part of the “I” in “Liberty” is also missing its lower left serif. 

The proof version has less hair, and the “I” is not missing the lower left serif.

In all cases, the accent-hair variety is rarer and more valuable than the non-accent-hair variety.

Special Designations

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar has no special designations.

Error Coins 

Common errors for 1964 Kennedy half dollars include but aren’t limited to the following:¹⁹

• The Mint striking them on planchets (the plain metal disk the coin becomes) intended for quarters
• Broadstrike errors (coin appears larger than normal)

Generally, these and other errors add value, sometimes even significant value, to a 1964 Kennedy half dollar.

Die Varieties

Several varieties exist for 1964 Kennedy half dollars.^20-25 These include the following:

• 1964 D/D Kennedy half dollar (repunched mint mark)
• 1964 doubled die obverse Kennedy half dollar
• 1964 doubled die reverse Kennedy half dollar
• 1964-D tripled die obverse Kennedy half dollar
• 1964-D quadrupled die obverse Kennedy half dollar

The D/D variety adds significant value to a 1964 Kennedy half dollar, potentially even reaching over $1,000. 

The doubled die obverse and reverse varieties also add hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars in value. 

The tripled and quadrupled varieties do the same, although they tend to hover closer to the tens and hundreds.

Composition

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar is a 90% silver coin. While melting it down would provide some value, we recommend not doing so. Selling even the lowest-graded 1964 Kennedy half dollar is worth more than melting it down for its melt value.

How Do You Know If You Have A Valuable 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar?

The best way to know if you have a valuable 1964 Kennedy half dollar (or any coin) and to get that value out of it is to have it professionally certified.

However, you can look for many elements to get you started in determining what coin you have.

Let’s start with grading.

Grading

Generally, look for fewer signs of wear with your 1964 Kennedy half dollar. Additionally, check for better, clearer details and a better luster.

These are all excellent signs of a higher grade.

Mint Marks

Look on the 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s reverse side. Specifically, look just under the eagle’s right talons (your left).

A “D” mint mark means Denver made the coin.

No mint mark means Philadelphia made the coin.

Strike Types

Circulation-strike 1964 Kennedy half dollars generally feature no or less reflective finishes than specimen- and proof-strikes. Additionally, they have less vivid details and usually feature more wear.

Specimen-strike 1964 Kennedy half dollars have a quality and finish between circulation- and proof-strikes. In other words, they feature great strike details but feature a less-than-reflective finish of proof coins.

Proof-strike 1964 Kennedy half dollars have reflective finishes and vivid details. 

Cameo and ultra/deep cameo proofs feature further contrast between the design elements and the fields, with ultra/deep cameo proofs developing this contrast more than cameo proofs.

Design Variations

Normal 1964 proof Kennedy half dollars feature no additional hair above Kennedy’s ear on the obverse side. They also have the lower left serif on the “I” in “Liberty.”

1964 accent-hair proof Kennedy half dollars do feature the additional hair and the missing lower left serif. 

You will only find the accent-hair design variation for proof coins.

Special Designations

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar has no special designations.

Error Coins

Some error coins are easy to determine on your own, although you should still seek official certification from a professional.

1964 Kennedy half dollar struck on planchets intended for quarters (or other denomination planchets) are smaller than normal half dollars. Part of the half dollar’s design will also be missing.

Broadstrike error coins are larger than normal coins. 

Die Varieties

You can easily determine if you have the 1964 D/D Kennedy half dollar by looking at the “D” mint mark on the coin’s reverse side.^20-25 If it looks like there are two “D’s,” then your half dollar is that variety.

For all the other varieties, you’re looking for doubling on the reverse side, and you’re looking for doubling, tripling, or quadrupling on the obverse side.^20-25 

Doubling, tripling, and quadrupling refer to how many of each design element appear either in part or in whole. So, if it looks like a letter is appearing more than once, that’s evidence of doubling, tripling, or quadrupling, depending on how many times it appears.

You will likely need some kind of magnification, such as a loupe, for this.

Additional Information About The 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar

History

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963. Discussions quickly began over what coin to feature him on. Ultimately, the half dollar was chosen.

The Mint produced Kennedy half dollars for the first time in 1964. Kennedy was an extremely popular president, so this coin was also extremely popular.

The Mint is still making Kennedy half dollars to this day.

^{Sources: 17-18,26}

The Coin’s Obverse Side

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s obverse side features President John F. Kennedy’s profile facing to the left. This fills most of this side of the coin.

The initials of the obverse side’s designer, Gilroy Roberts, sit at the base of Kennedy’s neck. 

The words “In God We Trust” are on either side of his neck. The word “Liberty” curves around much of the coin’s rim. “1964” curves around the bottom. 

Some proof coins are the accent-hair version. This version shows extra hair above Kennedy’s ear. It’s also missing part of the “I” in “Liberty,” specifically the lower left serif.

You have to look closely, but a regular 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s “I” curves out at the bottom on both sides. The accent-hair variety’s “I” does not.

^{Sources: 1-2,9-10}

The Coin’s Reverse Side

The 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s reverse side features a heraldic eagle filling the center of the coin. The eagle is holding a bundle of arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other.

The eagle is holding a scroll with the words “E Pluribus Unum” in its mouth. The words sit above the eagle’s head. They mean “Out of many, one,” and they’re the United States motto.

Rays, stars, and a cloud sit behind and above the eagle.

The words “United States Of America” curve around the top of the coin’s rim, with the words “Half Dollar” doing the same at the bottom. 

The initials of the reverse side’s designer, Frank Gasparro, are just between the eagle’s tail feathers and left leg (your right).

A Philadelphia coin has no mint mark, but a Denver coin will feature a small “D” mint mark just below the eagle’s right talons (your left).

^{Sources: 1-14}

Sources

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Value Guide