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 Replies: 41 / Views: 3,613 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1817 Posts |
They can be discontinued as long as 1) they remain in the annual sets, particularly the silver proof set and/or 2) a commemorative coin is issued in 2017 on JFK's 100th (preferably a gold half eagle.)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
998 Posts |
One can not really compare mintage's from the late 1800's and now. The population of the USA was much less then and the buying ability of a half dollar was much higher.
In addition the US Mint in the 1870's and 1880's was not so much in the business of pleasing collectors as they are now. Yes they did produce some products geared toward collectors, but not at premium prices or to the scale as now. They did not have entire denominations produced only for the collector market, now we have several, including halves, dollars, bullion coins and commemoratives.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
621 Posts |
hasnt it been a number of years since the mint stopped business strikings of the half dollar and its only made for collectors now already? so it kind of has already been discontinued for circulation guys.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
998 Posts |
It hasn't been minted for circulation for over a decade and even before that the numbers were for the most part minimal. Like I said before it has become a token or commemorative, and is no longer a true circulation coin. There is no reason to keep minting it from year to year.
Let the half dollar denomination die or retain it for just sets of annual commemoratives but let's end the fallacy of its coinage and drop it from the mint and proof sets.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12841 Posts |
There are places that still use the half dollar for transactions. At the University of Texas sporting events, all concessions are multiples of $0.50 including tax, so to speed transactions up and service guests quickly at busy times, any transaction that results in change that's not an even dollar amount will get a half back with the bills.
Granted, these examples are few and far between, but they still are in use out there.
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Valued Member
United States
252 Posts |
I think that it is interesting that when the mint pulled silver out of the coinage they wanted to keep the Kennedy half in silver to promote Kennedy even more. With it being the only coin actually containing silver it was horded out of circulation and the half was killed. So buy trying to make Kennedy a more valued coin, the mint in essence killed it. Sad really. I do love the half and don't want to see it go, but as a coin I would love to see a design change. And something different from a president. Every president will be a coin soon enough. Go for another decent design like the old Walker, SLQ, or some of my favorites, the Merc and the Morgan. Something non-presidential would most certainly cater to the collector and make the general public happier with their coinage. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
998 Posts |
I often thought that the US Mint should recycle old designs on circulating coins. Who wouldn't love to get 2013 SLQ's or IHC's, even if they are clad or zinc? While I don't agree with making denominations specifically for collectors like they are now with dollars and halves I would be a lot less disagreeable with Walkers and Peace dollars minted now... |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
Quote:
Most kids nowadays are like "Kennedy who? Oh yeah, he's that guy they named this street after. And this is testimony to the shameful lack of worthy education in our current system. I remember when I was in school they taught us who was on each coin denomination and bills up to 100.00 I admit I was surprised when I found out most kids don't know who are on our coins. Its just another way we shame our heroes. Personally, I like halves. And now that they are making so few of the silver proofs, I feel like the halves are worth collecting again b/c these specific ones have inherent value that will increase with time. I think I would miss them if they did not make them for collectors anymore just from having grown up with them. Although a re-design would be something I would not mind either. Maybe take it back to a more classic design or get a GOOD artist to incorporate someone like Reagan with a classic design. How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
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Valued Member
United States
98 Posts |
Gotta agree with n9jig here, halves are gaming chips. I'm 48 years old and I've never seen halves in use anywhere but casinos and the race track. In a world where cash transactions are going the way of the dinosaurs, I don't see a scenario where people are all of the sudden going to star using them for regular commerce.
Anyway, as long as they make them, I'd be shocked if anyone other than Kennedy was on the obverse. Best we can hope for is a replacement for the old, tired design.
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Pillar of the Community
 708 Posts |
I would hope for a redesign of the half (and the dime already), but not an elimination of the general circulation half. From what I heard, the Fed has a 10 year supply of halves as of now, BUT it has also been stated that the Fed has a 10 year supply of dollar coins as well, and while I'd love to see the $1 bill go bye-bye, I see a better chance of a half dollar coin/$1 bill/$2 bill system working sooner than a dollar coin replacing the $1 bill, but I hope I'm wrong and the paper dollar is eliminated, same with the cent, and we use the dollar coin, $2 bill and the half if possible, since, without the cent, we could set up five slot cash registers 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, $1, and bill slots $2, $5, $10, $20, and $50, with $100 bills going under the till, or into a safe.
*** Staff Edit: Section removed. It was just a little bit over the line into the political realm. ***
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Pillar of the Community
708 Posts |
Oh, and sorry for the double post, but one more thing. You all are (or most of you should be) coin and/or currency collectors right? So, why would you want to see the half (or the $2 bill) production halted for general circulation, and only minted/printed for commerative sets? I mean, don't you have fun getting some from the bank from time to time and spending them, to see what kind of reaction you will get? I sure wouldn't want to have to spend a premium to get $2 bills or halves to spend. In fact, one time I was at a McDonald's and I bought some of the dollar menu hambugers, and I put down three Eisenhower dollars, and they told me that they needed more of them, and I said, "What? You mean they "doubled" the price of these burgers?" and the cashier responded "No, but these are 50 cent pieces" and I said "No they're not. They're dollars. 50 cent pieces are way smaller" and I showed him the back of one of the Ikes and said "See? One Dollar" and the cashier (who was a young teenager) said "Oh my God! Look what this guy gave me!" and another young kid said "He "gave" you those?" and the other kid said "Well he paid for his food with them" So, even though you don't see Ikes very often, and they are obsolete, I do get them fairly regularly, so every once in a while I'll spend some, since most Ikes are only worth the dollar they're minted on. But, yeah. Don't you love those reactions? Plus I love when me and my mother go to bingo, and I'll spend dollar coins, $2 bills or halves to play, and the people would just gobble them up to collect like a vacuum sucking up a dust pile. I also want to become a cashier at a store or two so that I can hand out halves and $2 bills as change, as needed. Like if someone is owed back $3.05, I'd give them a $2 bill, a $1 bill, and a nickel. Or if they were owed back $1.60 I'd give them a $1 bill, a half and a dime. I would really like to see how this works out. Oh, and one more thing? Why do so many people call halves "fifty cent pieces"? I mean, I never hear anyone calling a quarter a "twenty-five cent piece" or a dime a "ten cent piece" although I have heard people call dollar coins "dollar pieces" from time to time, and I never hear people calling pennies "cents" either, even though "cent" is the true term for the penny. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
Quote:
Oh, and one more thing? Why do so many people call halves "fifty cent pieces"? Interesting question! I never thought of that. It must just be another quirk in our language?! I know my grandparents (I am 50) called used this terminology. Quote:
I'll spend dollar coins, $2 bills or halves to play, and the people would just gobble them up to collect like a vacuum sucking up a dust pile. Yes, the general public deems these as valuable and rare. I know my In-laws gave my kids some modern $2.00 bills for Christmas (along with other things) telling my kids they were worth something b/c they were rare. I was put into a hard place because I wanted my kids to know the bills were not rare, were not worth anything but 2.00, and would likely not ever be worth much. Its been quite a few years and they know this now. How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
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Pillar of the Community
708 Posts |
Earle42, Those $2 bills may become worth a little more after the next currency redesign, which, as I said, includes the $2 bill. So, when the new style $2 bills come out, their old $2 bills may pick up some value over the years. (Unless they are like Eisenhower and Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, which are fairly old, yet haven't picked up much value, if any more than face value) |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:I think that it is interesting that when the mint pulled silver out of the coinage they wanted to keep the Kennedy half in silver to promote Kennedy even more The Mint wanted to dump silver from the coinage completely. Retention of silver in the half dollar was something Congress worked out. It was a sop tossed to the western silver producing states in exchange for their support on removing silver completely from the dime and quarter. The 1964 Peace dollar was also part of the deal. |
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Valued Member
United States
252 Posts |
You know, the more that I think about the more convinced that I become that the drive to have the coin removed or in my position redesigned is because of boredom. The Kennedy half was a great coin. I love having a large collection, but having over a thousand of the same coin to just finish one collection is boring. Not to mention the thought that the collection may never be complete because they won't redesign the coin. This coming from someone who just bought into the Kennedy Collection. |
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Replies: 41 / Views: 3,613 |
First Page
Posted 02/08/2013 06:07 am
