1995 Kennedy Half Dollar Value Guide

What Is the 1995 Kennedy Half Dollar Made Of?

The 1995 Kennedy half dollar is made of 25% nickel and 75% copper. However, the 1995 Kennedy 50 cent also comes with a silver-proof version, which is made of 90% silver and 10% copper.

The 1995 Kennedy half dollar coin has 150 reeds, 11.30 grams in weight, and a diameter of 30.61 millimeters. The face value is 50 cents and the Kennedy dollar has been produced since 1964.

When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Congress immediately made a move to honor the deceased president. They ratified the law that would make Kennedy the face of the fifty-cent.

By that time, the US Mint asked Gilroy Roberts to design the obverse while Frank Gasparro will do the reverse. From then on, their design has been in use since 1964 unto the present.

photo source: USA Coin Book

The obverse features the face of Kennedy. The inscriptions include LIBERTY that arches above his head. The words “IN GOD WE TRUST” line below the chin and neck of Kennedy. You will also find the Mint mark, which can be D, S, P, or no mint mark at all. Finally, you’ll find the year of minting, which is 1995.

The reverse includes the image of the Presidential Seal with just a slight difference. You’ll find stars, a banner, a bundle of arrows, an olive branch, and cloud puffs. Each of these elements symbolizes various attributes of the United States and its people.

The inscriptions on the reverse side include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, AND HALF DOLLAR.

JFK is probably the most popular president in the United States and even abroad. That’s why, when the Kennedy half-dollar coin was issued, a lot of people would rather keep the coin than spend it. Some coins also made it overseas as people brought the coin with them.

Although the Kennedy 50-cent coin was made of silver in its first year of mintage, the government eventually decided to turn it into base metals. One reason is that silver is getting more expensive. Another reason is to discourage people from hoarding the coin.

1995 Kennedy Half Dollar Varieties

The 1995 Kennedy half dollar comes in different types. The main difference is their mint mark, which indicates where they are made. Aside from that, there are also 1995 half-dollar coins that come with various errors, which gave rise to a new variety.

Here are some of the most important 1995 Kennedy half-dollar varieties you need to know:

1995 D Kennedy Half Dollar

photo source: PCGS

The 1995-D half dollar coin was produced in the Denver Mint. At the end of 1995, there were more than 26.2 million of these coins produced.

1995-D half dollars are fairly common. You should be able to find these in good condition. However, 1995-D half-dollars are rare in MS-67 conditions. They are even rarer in MS-68 grade. The usual price of the 1995-D half-dollar coin is between $0.50 to $3.00.

1995 P Kennedy Half Dollar

photo source: PCGS

The 1995-P Kennedy half-dollar was made in the Philadelphia Mint and there are about 26.4 million of these coins, making this the most abundant variety of the 1995 Kennedy coin. The price of the P coin is almost the same as the D coin, which is about $0.50 to $3.00.

You should easily find MS-65 1995-P half dollar coins. However, the coin becomes scarce if you’re looking for coins with MS-66 and higher grades.

1995 S Kennedy Half Dollar (proof)

photo source: PCGS

Compared to other mints, the San Francisco Mint only produced about 2.1 million half-dollar coins, which is significantly lower. The main reason for this is that the San Francisco Mint specialized in producing proof coins. These types of coins are more detailed. Sometimes, they are manually wiped and cleaned by hand.

As a result, proof coins are more difficult to produce and there’s more time needed to make them. Nevertheless, proof coins are not meant for circulation. So, it’s okay that the US Mint only creates a few of them. Proof coins are produced mainly for collectors.

The price of 1995-D half dollar coins is usually around $0.50 to $17.00.

1995 S Silver Kennedy Half Dollar (proof)

photo source: PCGS

Like what was mentioned above, aside from the standard struck coins, the US Mint also produced a silver version of this coin. Because of its silver content, the silver-proof version of the 1995 Kennedy coin is more expensive. Usually, prices may range from $0.50 to $82.00.

There are only about 679 thousand silver 1995 half dollar coins.

List Of 1995 Kennedy Half Dollar Errors

Every coin series has its fair share of errors and 1995 Kennedy half-dollar coins are no exception.

Errors can happen due to various reasons. For example, a single coin may be struck twice, which results in the doubling of some elements in the coin.

Aside from that, there’s a misalignment in the strike, which makes the engraved elements to be off-center. Sometimes, the error happens during the cutting of planchets, which makes a coin lose its perfect shape.

To give you some ideas, here are a few examples.

First off, this one is a strike-through error:

photo source: eBay

As you can see in the image above, the engraved print isn’t that deep and detailed. This happened because a foreign material came between the die and the coin, preventing the die from completely striking the coin.

Check out this one coin with a cud error at the 8 o’clock side of the coin:

photo source: eBay

Die cracks are also a common coin error. Here’s an example:

photo source: eBay

Because of repeated strikes, the die can get weak and crack. In the example above, you’ll see a hair-like line. That’s actually a crack on the die that was struck to the coin.

How Much Is the 1995 Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Today?

The 1995 Kennedy half dollar is worth 50 cents. The melt value is $0.0999. The silver version has a higher melt value, which is $7.94.

Nevertheless, there are 1995 Kennedy half dollar coins that are actually worth more. These coins are usually officially graded.

Here’s a 1995 Kennedy Half Dollar values chart to help you gain an overview of their prices:

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 1995 Kennedy Half Dollar?

You can buy or sell 1995 Kennedy half dollars in coin shops, antique shops, and from fellow collectors. You can also join auctions. One popular auction that presents rare and impressive coins is the Heritage Auctions in Florida.

Aside from that, you can also go online. Some of the best places where you can buy and sell Kennedy coins would be Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. You can even use social media to find your needed coins.

FAQs

What is the 1995-P 50C (Regular Strike) Kennedy Half Dollar worth today?

The 1995-P 50 cent coin is 50 cent in value if you base it on its face value. However, coins with grades MS 66 or higher can be more expensive. Just to give you an example, in July 2022, a 1995-P Kennedy coin was sold for $1,680 in Heritage Auctions.

How can you tell if a half dollar is rare?

The best way for you to tell if a half dollar is rare is to get in touch with a professional coin grading service provider. They can examine your coin and give you a more accurate assessment.

Will banks take half dollars?

Yes, banks should be able to take half dollar coins.