Half dollar (United States coin)

Half dollar

United States
Value	0.50 U.S. dollar
Mass	11.340 g (0.365 troy oz)
Diameter	30.61 mm (1.205 in)
Thickness	2.15 mm (0.085 in)
Edge	150 reeds
Composition	1964: 90% Ag 10% Cu; 1965–1970: 60% Cu 40% Ag 1971–present: 91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni
Years of minting	1794–1797, 1801–1803, 1805–1815, 1817–1921, 1923, 1927–1929, 1933–present
Catalog number	–
Obverse
Design	John F. Kennedy
Designer	Gilroy Roberts
Design date	1964
Reverse
Design	Presidential Seal
Designer	Frank Gasparro
Design date	1964

The half dollar, sometimes referred to as the half for short or 50-cent piece, is a United States coin worth 50 cents, or one half of a dollar. In both size and weight, it is the largest circulating coin currently minted in the United States,^[1] being 1.205 inches (30.61 millimeters) in diameter and 0.085 in (2.16 mm) in thickness, and is twice the weight of the quarter. The coin's design has undergone a number of changes throughout its history. Since 1964, the half dollar depicts the profile of President John F. Kennedy on the obverse and the seal of the president of the United States on the reverse.^[2]

Although seldom used today, half-dollar coins were once common in circulation and saw regular use alongside other denominations of US coinage, but have become uncommon in general circulation for several reasons. Half-dollars were produced in fairly large quantities until the year 2002, when the U.S. Mint reduced production of the coin and ceased minting them for regular circulation. As a result of its decreasing usage, many pre-2002 half dollars remain in Federal Reserve vaults, prompting the change in production. Presently, collector half dollars can be ordered directly from the U.S. Mint,^[2] and circulated half dollars minted from 1971-2001 are generally available at most American banks and credit unions. Beginning in 2021, half dollars were again produced for general circulation.^[3]