What was the point for 40% Kennedy halves?

[Argentium]

The US debased its coinage from 90% silver to clad in 1965, with the exception of the half dollar, which was minted in 40% Ag. What was the reason behind this? If you're going to trash your coinage, might as well go whole hog! So my question is, what was the significance of the 40% half?

Was it some kind of tribute to JFK, perhaps?

TIA

[TimoneX]

Nah the federal regime paid their tribute to JFK in lead. Dunno why they did the low budget 40% stuff. They did the same with the wartime nickels.

[Fiat Metaler]

The US debased its coinage from 90% silver to clad in 1965, with the exception of the half dollar, which was minted in 40% Ag. What was the reason behind this? If you're going to trash your coinage, might as well go whole hog! So my question is, what was the significance of the 40% half?

Was it some kind of tribute to JFK, perhaps?

TIA

its a good question, i wondered that from time to time.

they reintroduced the dollar coin in 71 but by then there was no silver in the halves.

[TimoneX]

Think there are 40% ike bux floating around too, and the .gov didn't shoot him to death. Someone probably got a kickback or some such.

[Argentium]

Think there are 40% ike bux floating around too, and the .gov didn't shoot him to death. Someone probably got a kickback or some such.

What the Mint did with the Ag content in the Ikes, was damn near schitzo! I've heard that the Vegas bigshots appealed to the Mint to make a large diameter dollar coin, so they wouldn't have to make their own dollar tokens. I never did buy into that.

[pay dirt]

Was it some kind of tribute to JFK, perhaps?

TIA

What I have read that makes sense. It would have been a dishonor to the president only a year after his tragic death to completely debase the coin with his image. There were reservations by the US congress about putting Eisenhower on a base metal coin, but it happened anyway.

There were 430 million JFK half 1964 dollars minted and they also minted them in 65 with 64 dates. That was more than all the Franklin Halves years combined. By minting so many silver halves the silver reserves were depleted and with the rising value of ag the mint stopped making the dime and quarter out of silver. They did not have the silver to keep making Kennedy half out of 90% so they made them out of 40 % hoping they would circulate( less ag value and 2 for 1) as the 430 million were being hoarded because of the collector value (speculation at the time) and rising silver value. The 40 % did not circulate much either and was hoarded mainly because it had Kennedy on it.

The reason people do not use halves like they do the quarter in change is because by the time they went full on clad in early 70s they were not used to seeing or using them. Ironically by putting Kennedy on the half and keeping it somewhat 40% silver resulted with the end of the circulating half dollar which was very commonly used before 64 in transactions.

[curmudgeonista]

The mint became a net seller of silver in the 1960's. Maybe 40% halves were just a good way to sell it off at 2.5x spot (FV vs spot at the time). Doing this just with the half-dollar wouldn't interfere too much with the ongoing conversion of the common circulating "silver" coinage to clad.

[honu5050]

The US debased its coinage from 90% silver to clad in 1965, with the exception of the half dollar, which was minted in 40% Ag. What was the reason behind this? If you're going to trash your coinage, might as well go whole hog! So my question is, what was the significance of the 40% half?

Was it some kind of tribute to JFK, perhaps?

TIA

a tribute ha ha that's a good one. if anything.... they would of filled it with liquid mercury.

[samwiii]

They're still fun to find and feed the roll-searching addiction many of us have developed.

[Rcpb2000]

They're still fun to find and feed the roll-searching addiction many of us have developed.

Yup, Thanks guys for another addiction! Time to go back to the bank with this 30lb bag and come back with a 30lb box.

Honestly not sure of the exact weight but man that thing is heavy.