Half Dollars In Fed Vaults?

Halves have a sad story. Now, I don't know this for a fact, but I would guess it was a circulating piece of american coinage until kennedy was put on the coin. It was still pretty recent to his death and from what I heard from the older generation it was a really popular coin. And then the silver quickly dissolved out of circulation after '64 so the silver halves became even more popular. They were just hoarded like mad. Even today when I spend halves people go nuts like "I can't accept this. You know they don't make them anymore? They're worth like a lot of money! Don't spend this on soda! Save it!"

They still do mint 50 cent pieces every year they are just not intended for circulation anymore. But you can get all the circulating pieces you want from the FED.

The big hit for halves in circulation was 1964. People simply would not spend the Kennedy halves. After a while, everyone got out of the habit of using half dollars. I have thought that a design change might alter the situation. On the other hand, it has been 44 years since Kennedy's assassination. No young person sees Kennedy as anything more than a paragraph in a history book, if that.

What would happen if the mint simply flooded the market with circulation halves? Would people use them then?

Getting rid of the quarter would probably be the only way; and we all know the Quarter is not going away any time soon!

Great point Conder, that's a very interesting way to look at it.

Personally I don't EVER see halves being used in commonplace transactions again. It just won't happen. People like us who spend halves, $2 bills and dollar coins for fun are just about the only ones who really even know they exist. It's sad.

I kept 4 halves out of the 6 rolls I bought today. Maybe I'll buy gas with the others just see the look I get.

My town doesn't have many half dollars in the bank, today on the way home from school I went to one bank it surprised me. They had 6 dollars of them I got them but no silver. There is hardly ever any of them around here. My grampa says they did used to be like normal change back in the 50s. I like them its to bad they dont circulate. I am lucky to find a 40% half dollar once a month and its in like 2 coins they have in the whole bank!

For probably well over 30 years now I've gone to banks and taken out from 2 to 10 rolls of halves. I used to do it for my collections. However, as time went by I never found anything worth saving anymore but it became fun ATTEMPTING to spend them. I still try for some at banks but that too is getting to be a pain. My EX favorite source of halves was the LaSalle National Bank, now changed to Bank of America. I never USED to have a problem getting as many as I wasnted there. Last time there I was instructed that now with the new ownership, they have been instructed to send all halves back to the main office. They were instructed not to order any for customers. They were instructed not to accept any halves or large dollar coins. I asked what if I brought in some halves and said add this to may account. They said there were instructed to tell customers to take them somewhere else.
Over the years I've had mixed reactions using halves. At one flea market a guy saw me spending one and asked if I had more. He offered me $0.75 each for all I had. I had 10 and gave them to him for $5.
I pay getting into flea markets with them and the people at the gates watch for me for them.
However, at a restaurant seveal waitresses have asked me to stop leaving those for tips. On commuter trains the conductors have told me to not give them halves or those baby sized dollars. At a fast food place, Wendy's, when trying to spend a half, they looked at me as if I was trying to rob the place but ended up taking them.
With the usage of coins today people are getting a little nutty I think.