1970 S USA Half Dollar Proof

1970 S USA Half Dollar Proof

The Kennedy half dollar was first issued in 1964 as a tribute to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1963. Designed by Gilroy Roberts (obverse) and Frank Gasparro (reverse), the coin features a profile of Kennedy on the front and the Presidential Seal on the back. The 1964 issue was struck in 90% silver, but from 1965 to 1970 it was reduced to 40% silver, and later switched to a copper-nickel clad composition in 1971. While once commonly used in circulation, the Kennedy half dollar gradually became more of a collector's item, with limited production for circulation in later years and most modern issues sold directly to collectors by the U.S. Mint.

Obverse: Portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy facing left, with the legend around and the date below.
Reverse: Presidential seal of the United States of America (a shield on the chest of an American eagle, holding an olive branch in its right talon, and a bundle of thirteen arrows in its left, with the words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" on a scroll in its beak) within a circle of stars, with the country name above and the denomination below.

Specifications:
Engraver: Gilroy Roberts
Composition: 0.400 Silver
Weight: 11.5 g
Diameter: 30.6 mm
Edge: Reeded
Die Axis: ↑↓
Mint: The United States Mint of San Francisco
Mintage: 2,632,810