On May 5, 2022, the United States Mint began accepting orders for bags and rolls of circulation quality 2022 Kennedy Half Dollars (Buy on eBay). The product options included 200-coin bags from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mints priced as they have been in recent years at $147.50 per bag or a 2-roll set with one roll of coins from each mint priced at $34.50.
Cumulative sales of these products are 21,926 of the 2-coin rolls and 10,999 of the 200-coin bags for a total of 3.95 million 2022 Kennedy half dollars sold that way. The maximum authorized sales levels were, respectively, 22,000 and 11,000.
However, the Mint reported much higher production totals for the 2022 Kennedy Half Dollar at 9.7 million coins altogether, including 4.9 million Denver halves and 4.8 million Philadelphia halves. The considerable difference between the two totals—about 5.7 million coins—was produced by the Mint and released without notice into circulation through the Federal Reserve network of banks.
Coin World reported on September 8, 2022, that the Mint had suspended production of the coins at those levels at the end of August in order to concentrate on the other circulating denominations.
Collectors of Kennedy Half Dollars first reported being able to acquire bags and rolls of the coins from their local banks in 2021. Similar reports have continued to be made since then. It appears the Mint is again producing the coins for circulation because of a need for that coinage in cash transactions, but it remains unclear whether Americans are using the coins for that purpose.
2022 Kennedy Half Dollar Specifications:
- Composition: 91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel; 90% silver, 10% copper (silver Proof)
- Diameter: 30.61 mm
- Weight: 11.34 g; 12.50 g (silver Proof)
- Edge: reeded
- Mint Mark: “P” (Philadelphia), “S” (San Francisco), “D” (Denver)
2022 Kennedy Half Dollar Mintages:
- 2022-P: 4,100,000
- 2022-D: 6,200,000
- 2022-S Proof: 399,949
- 2022-S Silver Proof: 293,824
Mintages based on U.S. Mint Sales Figures as of October 25, 2023.
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