Total production for the 1976 version totaled over 500 million. The Bicentennial coin again created demand/hoarding (yes my grandmother kept every one of those also).

Anybody older recall vending machines accepting half dollars?Īnyway, production totals for each year through 1976 typically ran 100-200 million, with the expectation of a few years. Pop from a pop machine cost a quarter so I never grew up using them. In the 70’s I do not recall any vending machines taking them. By now, people had become accustomed to using quarters and not seeing half dollars in circulation. I remember my grandmother keeping every ½ dollar she got. Even when the composition changed to clad in 1971, people still hoarded them. To put than into perspective, the highest total ever for a Franklin half was over 92 million in 1963 (both P and D) and the second highest was around 50 million. Even though production totaled over 400 million in 1964, people could not get enough of them. The sentiment for Kennedy was overwhelming so these were hoarded. When the silver content changed for 1965, it was likely hoarded even more.

The Kennedy half was hoarded like no other coin. It likely began sooner but in 1964, everybody wanted to get the new Kennedy half. The demise of the half dollar began in earnest in 1964.

A coin slot machine