1978 Half Dollar Value Guide

What Is A 1978 Kennedy Half Dollar Made Of?

The 1978 Kennedy half dollar is made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The core of the coin is made of pure copper while its surface is clad with a mixture of nickel and copper. The 1978 half dollar has a face value of 50 cents. Its thickness is 2.15 mm and its diameter is 30.6 mm. It has 11.34 grams.

photo source: USA Coin Book

From 1965 to 1970, the Kennedy half-dollar was made of 40% silver and 60% copper. The half dollar was first struck in 1964.

When it comes to design, the 1978 half dollar has John Kennedy’s image. He is the 35th president of the United States and the half-dollar coin was designed in honor of the service he rendered to the country.

Aside from the bust of John Kennedy, which was designed by Gilroy Roberts, you can also see other inscriptions on the obverse such as the following:

• LIBERTY
• IN GOD WE TRUST
• 1978
• Mint mark (if present)

On the reverse, the modified presidential seal is present, which consists of the heraldic eagle, a shield, olive branch, and 13 arrows. The shield depicts protection, the olive tree symbolizes peace, and the arrows represent war. The designer is Frank Gasparro.

The inscriptions on the reverse side of the 1978 half-dollar coin are the following:

• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• E PLURIBUS UNUM
• HALF DOLLAR
• FG – initials of Frank Gasparro

As mentioned, the first Kennedy half-dollar was first made in 1964. The coin was intended to serve as a memorial to the assassination of the beloved president. When the coin was first released, it was made of silver. As a result, a lot of people hoarded the silver half dollar, reducing its number in circulation.

The problem worsened to the point that in 1971, silver was eliminated from the minting of coins. In the 1975 series, a special commemorative Kennedy half-dollar design was issued. Instead of the presidential seal, a new design was used for the reverse of the coin.

In 2001, the production of Kennedy’s half-dollar coin was finally ended. As this might be the case, from 2002 to 2020, the US Mint still produced half-dollar coins not for circulation, but for collectors.

Is A 1978 Kennedy Half Dollar Silver?

The US Mint stopped producing silver coins in 1971 and that included the Kennedy half-dollar coins. The silver Kennedy half-dollar coins were produced before 1970. So, if you see a Kennedy half-dollar with a year 1970 or earlier, then it is more likely that it has a silver composition.

Aside from that, in 1976, the US Mint also produced silver Kennedy half-dollar coins for collectors. Then from 1992 to 2018, silver proofs were struck.

If you want to know whether you have a silver 1978 half-dollar coin or not, you can do a drop test. Silver coins are known to make high pitch sounds when dropped. Check out the edge as well. Silver coins will have solid silver stripes.

To fully and confidently establish that a coin is made of silver, you can always consult a professional coin grader.

1978 Half Dollar Varieties

There are different varieties of the 1978 half-dollar coins. Most of them differ based on their mint marks. You can also find half-dollar coins with errors, which make them rare and unique.

Here are some of the most common varieties of 1978 fifty-cent coin:

1978 P Half Dollar (No Mint Mark)

photo source: USA Coin Book

The 1978 P half dollar (no mint mark) is struck in the Philadelphia Mint. Around 14,350,000 half-dollar coins have been struck in this mint. If you have a 1978 P half-dollar coin, you may be able to sell it for $0.50 to $2.50, which is the usual selling price.

1978 D Half Dollar

photo source: Coin Facts

The 1978 D half dollar is struck in the Denver Mint. Around 13,765,000 half-dollar coins have been struck in this mint. If you have a 1978 D half-dollar coin, you may be able to sell it for $4.50.

1978 S Half Dollar

photo source: PCGS

The San Francisco Mint produced the least number of the 1978 S half dollar coin, which is around 3,127,000. The reason being is that the 1978 S Kennedy coins are proof, meaning, they are more polished and visually appealing.
To create such coins, more time is needed. Thus, the San Francisco Mint only made about 3 million of these coins.
The usual selling price of this coin is $0.50 to $7.00, which is higher compared to other Kennedy coins minted in Denver and Philadelphia.

1978 Half Dollar List of Errors

There are some 1978 half-dollar coins that were made with errors. These errors can be due to improper and inefficient minting processes. There are some coins that have poor strikes. Some have off-center strikes. Others have folded or blank planchet.

Some errors make a half-dollar coin unique. So, errors can actually be blessings in disguise. If you get a half-dollar coin with an error, have it checked. It may cost a few hundred or thousand bucks!

How Much Is A 1978 Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Today?

The standard, circulated 1978 Kennedy half dollar coin can be sold by as much as its face value, which is 50 cents. The melt value is also about $0.50. However, if you have rare and unique Kennedy coins, you should be able to sell them for hundreds of dollars.

To give you an idea of how much a half-dollar coin that was minted in 1978, here’s a comparison table:

How Does The Grading System Work?

The Sheldon Scale is used by numismatists to provide a numerical value to coins. The Sheldon Scale goes from poor (P-1) to perfect mint state (P-1) (MS-70). Coins were originally evaluated using words to reflect their condition (Good, Fair, Excellent, Etc.). Unfortunately, coin collectors and dealers had different ideas about what each of these terms represent.

Professional numismatists joined together in the 1970s and established CoinGrading standards. These numismatists now assign grades at key places on the seventy-point scale, using the most regularly utilized numeric points in conjunction with the original adjective grade. The following are the most common coin grades:

1. 1. • (P-1) Poor – Indistinguishable and probably damaged; if used, must have a date and mintmark; otherwise, rather battered.
      • (FR-2) Fair – Nearly smooth, but without the damage that a coin graded Poor often possesses. The coin must have enough detail to be identified.
      • (G-4) Fair – Inscriptions have merged into the rims in some areas, and important elements have been mostly erased.
      • (VG-8) Very Good- A little weathered, but all of the primary design elements are visible, albeit faintly. There is little if any, central detail left.
      • (F-12) Good – The item is very worn, yet the wear is even, and the overall design details stand out clearly. Rims are almost completely isolated from the field.
      • (VF-20) Very Fine – Moderately weathered, with some finer features still visible. The motto or all letters of LIBERTY are readable. Both sides of the coin have entire rims that are separated from the field.
      • (EF-40) Extremely Fine – Gently used; all gadgets are visible, and the most important ones are bold. The finer details are bold and clear, however, light wear may be seen.
      • (AU-50) Uncirculated – Slight evidence of wear on the coin’s design’s high points; may have contact marks; eye appeal should be adequate.
      • (AU-58) Uncirculated Choice – Slight traces of wear, no severe contact marks, almost full mint shine, and great eye appeal.
      • (MS-60) Mint State Basal – Strictly uncirculated; no indication of wear on the coin’s highest points, but an unsightly coin with reduced luster, visible contact marks, hairlines, and other flaws.
      • (MS-63) Mint State Acceptable – Uncirculated, but with contact scratches and nicks, little reduced shine, but otherwise appealing appearance. The strike is weak to average.
      • (MS-65) Mint State Choice – Uncirculated with great mint shine, very little contact blemishes, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is unusually severe.
      • (MS-68) Mint State Premium Quality – Uncirculated with superb luster, no obvious contact marks to the naked eye, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is quick and appealing.
      • (MS-69) Almost Perfect Mint State – Uncirculated with perfect brilliance, a sharp and appealing strike, and extremely good eye appeal. A near-perfect coin with minor imperfections in the planchet, strike, and contact markings (seen only under 8x magnification).
      • (MS-70) Mint State Perfect – Under 8x magnification, there are no tiny imperfections discernible; the strike is crisp, and the coin is perfectly centered on a beautiful planchet. Rarely seen on a coin, this coin is bright and whole, with original luster and exceptional eye appeal.

Where To Buy Or Sell 1978 Half Dollars?

The quickest way to buy or sell a 1978 Kennedy half-dollar coin would be on the Internet. Amazon and eBay are the most well-known online marketplaces that help coin collectors in finding their needed items. You can also do a Google search to find websites that specialized in selling and buying coins.

Aside from the Internet, you can also visit coin, jewelry, pawn, and antique shops. You can also check local or online auction houses. These auction houses are a great place to find rare 1978 Kennedy coins.

FAQs

Where is the mint mark on a 1977 Kennedy half dollar?

The 1977 Kennedy half dollar shows the mint mark on the obverse, just beneath the right side of Kennedy’s neck. A Mint mark can be present or not, depending on where it is minted.

Who was on the 1978 half dollar?

The 1978 half-dollar coin features the bust of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. He was chosen to grace the half-dollar coin as a memorial of His death in 1963.

What is a 1978 Liberty half dollar worth?

There are no 1978 Liberty half-dollar coins. This type of coin was minted from 1916 to 1947. All half-dollar Liberty coins are made of silver. Thus, if you have this type of coin, even in poor condition, you might be able to sell it for at least $10 or more. Walking Liberty half-dollar coins in top shape and condition can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.