On May 11, 2021, the United States Mint began accepting orders for bags and rolls of 2021-dated circulation quality Kennedy Half Dollars. 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 21,989 of the 2-coin rolls and 9,968 of the 200-coin bags for a total of about 4 million 2021 Kennedy half dollars sold that way. The maximum authorized sales levels were, respectively, 22,000 and 11,000.
The Mint reported much higher production totals for the 2021 Kennedy Half Dollar (Buy on eBay) at 10.3 million coins altogether, including 6.2 million Denver halves and 4.1 million Philadelphia halves. The reason for this difference is that, as we learned in 2021, the Mint was once again making these coins for circulation, and the Fed was ordering the coins for that purpose.
Collectors of Kennedy Half Dollars first reported being able to acquire bags and rolls of the coins from their local banks in July 2021. Numerous reports began surfacing from collectors in the summer of 2021, saying they obtained rolls and boxes of rolls of 2021 half dollars from their local banks.
In 2021, the U.S. Mint and the Federal Reserve both confirmed that the Fed had begun ordering new Kennedy half dollars in 2021 for use in circulation.
Prior to this development, circulation Kennedy halves were last known to have been released into general circulation in 2001. After that, the Mint began selling bags and rolls of the coins each year to collectors at a premium over their face value.
2021 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)
2021 Kennedy Half Dollar Mintages:
- 2021-P: 4,800,000
- 2021-D: 4,900,000
- 2021-S Proof: 521,826
- 2021-S Silver Proof: 319,317
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