1964 50C SMS (Special Strike)
Series: (None)
PCGS SP69
PCGS SP68
PCGS SP68
- PCGS #:
- 6844
- Designer:
- Roberts/Frank Gasparro
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 31.00 millimeters
- Weight:
- 12.50 grams
- Mintage:
- 3,950,762
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $156,000 • SP68 • 08-20-2019 • Stack's Bowers
Condition Census What Is This?
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#1 PCGS SP69
As PCGS SP69 #10132710. Stack's Bowers, January 22, 2013, Lot 13265 - $135,000 Reserve Not Met. Offered as a complete PCGS-graded 1964 Special Mint Set. David Schweitz to Western collector, April 2013 - $151,200. |
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#2 PCGS SP68
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| #2 PCGS SP68 |
| #2 PCGS SP68 |
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#2 PCGS SP68
As NGC SP69 #1622190-002. Heritage Auctions, May 2004, Lot 7926; Heritage Auctions, July 2016, Lot 3908 - Withdrawn. As PCGS SP68 #02407076. |
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#2 PCGS SP68
As NGC SP69 #1727946-029. As PCGS SP68 #37846452. Stack's Bowers, August 15, 2019, Lot 5231 - $156,000; Dell Loy Hansen. |
#7 PCGS SP67+
As PCGS SP67 #83208890. GreatCollections, May 12, 2019, Lot 697949 - $87,187.50. As PCGS SP67+ #38574690. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, April 21, 2021, Lot 227 - $96,937.50. |
#7 PCGS SP67+
As PCGS MS67 SMS #10081826. Heritage Auctions, January 8, 2010, Lot 2793 - $16,100; D. Brent Pogue, July 28, 2019; The D. Brent Pogue Estate. As PCGS SP67+ #38634066. "The D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part VII," Stack's Bowers, March 20, 2020, Lot 7301 - $60,000. As PCGS SP67+ #43368352. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, September 2, 2021, Lot 302 - $99,875; Heritage Auctions, May 8, 2022, Lot 3769 - $48,000; GreatCollections, June 19, 2022, Lot 1175843 - $56,250. |
#9 PCGS SP67
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| #9 PCGS SP67 |
| #9 PCGS SP67 |
#9 PCGS SP67
Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2019, Lot 3760 - $108,000. Sold as an individual lot alongside the other four pieces of an original set of 1964 Special Mint Set coins. |
#9 PCGS SP67
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The 1964 Special Strike Kennedy Half dollars display very unique characteristics unseen on any other coins of the era. First of all, the strike is very sharp as it displays very clear details on both the obverse and the reverse. The coins also contain a smooth satin like appearance with the rims being very square and sharp. There are die polishing lines throughout the coins surfaces. These coins also tend to lack contact marks unlike business strike coins, indicating that they were struck and handled under extreme care. Furthermore, the coins do not display the reflective surfaces that are usually encountered on proof coins.
These 1964 Special Strike Kennedy Half’s were first noticed in 1993 when they appeared in a Stacks auction. Apparently, the coins originated from Lester Merkin who was a well known coin dealer. His collection was later consigned to Stacks. It is also believed that Lester Merkin initially acquired the coins from a Mint employee or Eva Adams who was former Director of the U.S. Mint.
Coincidentally, there are also other Special Strike coins in different denominations that exist for this date. These include the Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Roosevelt dime and the Washington quarter. There is also about one or two dozen sets believed to exist for each of these denominations.
In numismatics there are also other coins which are not supposed to exist, such as the 1933 Saint Gaudens double eagles and the 1913 Liberty nickels. It also took years before some of these coins ever surfaced, and the entire circumstances in how they eluded the U.S Mint is also a complete mystery. Although, the 1964 Special Strike coins are not necessarily in the same league as other classic rarities, they do tend to have the same mysterious history behind them. The fact there are also very little examples of these coins in existence and much cheaper than other legendary coins, only makes them much more desirable to a lot of collectors.
As of September 2009, PCGS has only certified 12 examples of the 1964 Special Strike Kennedy Half Dollars in all grades combined. In conclusion, this also makes it the scarcest of all the 1964 Special Strike coin denominations produced.