Am I having a false memory?

[zanana1]

I seem to remember that when I was a kid there used to be 50 cent pieces. Maybe it was in another lifetime, but it's sticking in my mind.

[CincyDem]

1. Kennedy Half Dollar ? n/t

[dhol82]

2. I remember them also.

Not sure why they dropped out of favor.
Guess they went the way of the two dollar bill.

[zanana1]

3. So glad I'm not just nuts. nt

[Kali]

22. They're still around

Sometimes I get $0.50 coins in change and I use two dollar bills that I get at the bank to pay my swimming pool fee in the winter. It always amuses the kids at the pool.

[dameatball]

4. You are correct. I think when I was a kid it was a Liberty(?) then replaced by the Kennedy. But I

may be thinking of the silver dollar as far as the Liberty.

[dhol82]

6. Pretty sure the Liberty was a dollar coin.

[dameatball]

7. Yes, it was. I was just thinking it was on the half dollar as well, but I could be wrong.

[TwilightZone]

5. Kennedy - they still make them.

Mostly for collectors now. No longer for general circulation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_half_dollar

[Hoyt]

8. 1948 - 1963 it was the Franklin Half Dollar. Then, the Kennedy.

[Harker]

38. I remember the Benny's from childhood.

All of them silver.

[dameatball]

9. I decided to Google: "Walking Liberty, 1916-1947; Franklin, 1948-1963;Kennedy, 1964 on. So you were

not imagining things.

[Lochloosa]

10. The silver spike in the early 80's caused them to disappear.

Any silver half and dollar coins were sold for the scrap value. I got 19 dollars for a silver dollar at scrap.

It was called Silver Thursday.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Thursday

[dhol82]

11. Interesting

Surprised they didn’t do the copper sandwich bit.

[dameatball]

14. They did did reduce the silver content starting in 1965.

[dameatball]

12. That was a good deal. Spot price today is about $15.

[Lochloosa]

16. I was standing in line and the price dropped from 20 to 19.

Crazy time.

[rampartc]

13. they disappeared sometime after jfk began to appear on them.

who was jfk, you might ask? maybe that is my "mandela moment."

https://mandelaeffect.com/

[kozar]

15. yep,,

Your memory is fine. Mrs Koz. father passed and we are still in process of going through their things. Her mom did 2 years ago. They lived into their 90's,,healthy to the end, but they were hoarders! We recently found 300 half dollar coins along with 100 Silver dollar coins dating back to 1880 in their attic in an old cigar box. It amazes my feeble brain when I hold a coin that old,,what that coin has seen, other than an attic,, in it's lifetime.

Koz

[Lochloosa]

17. You should have them appraised. Some are worth a lot of money.

[kozar]

19. we have,,

unfortunately,,they were all "pocket coins" and not near in mint condition. Which increases their story in my mind. We have had offers made,, but we have no pressure to rush and are proceeding slowly. Thanks for the input!

Koz

[Lochloosa]

23. Great thing to pass along then. Even better.

[kozar]

24. agree100%

Now I can go all "old man" and hope our grand children, and even son,,can appreciate the history of something this old.

[Harker]

39. That'd be great.

The stories I see about fine old coins being blown on Pepsi, etc., are troubling.

[csziggy]

29. My family has three bank bags of silver coins Dad saved

Once the alloy (sandwich) coins were introduced, he'd go through his pocket change every day and set aside every silver coin. Then he put them into the safe and forgot about them. When the house I grew up in was demolished in 2011 Dad found the bags in the safe and moved them to the new house. Now that both he (2013) and Mom (2017) have passed, the coins are part of the estate.

Few if any are in decent shape, so their main value is as silver. But we still have to split them up. I guess doing it by weight is the fairest way. That means that if any are of collectible value, where they go will be arbitrary.

[kozar]

35. what I learned

they will tell you,wherever you take them,, its scrap value.Unless in mint condition we were offered 12 dollars for every coin we had on scrap value,,, right now that sounds high to me. if they are pocket coins with wear,,they are scrap value coins. I have been through 5 dealers,,answer always same


Koz

[csziggy]

42. My husband is the one interested - he has been a coin collector for 60 years

But the sister in charge of everything will not let him go through and look for any possible collectible coins, so it will be random chance.

That's OK by me - to me the value of knowing these are ones my Dad kept is worth more than anything else. My husband is not interested in selling - he'd just like to add any that are worthwhile to his collection. So we will both be happy with whatever we end up with.

[kozar]

44. perfect attitude

its what we need to think when talking about estates.


Koz

[Sherman A1]

18. No

There most certainly were half dollar coins. Think I still have one.

[IrishEyes]

20. I got some in my change from a $5 last week.

The cashier asked if I would mind some half dollars. I told her I would love them so I got 4 of them. I collect coins so I was happy. I guess a previous customer that day had paid in half dollars.

[Coventina]

25. I seem to remember a Kennedy half dollar being a plot point in a Brady Bunch episode

Can't remember any details, though.

[mr_lebowski]

26. Totally remember Bobby (think it was) going "Wow, a Kennedy Half-Dollar? What'll ya swap for it?!"

But that's about all I remember too lol ...

[Coventina]

28. You're right! It was Bobby!

It's pretty hilarious the little details one remembers!

[Cartoonist]

27. 63 Kennedy halves are now worth

Over $30

[kozar]

36. not in my world,,,

actually I goggled and asked,, Kennedy wasnt on the half dollar until 1964,,AFTER he was assassinated,, show me dsom eproof of a 63 half dollar.. he was killed in Nov of 63,,you know....

Koz

[kozar]

37. I have replied to this post in pvt

Kennedy 63s do not exist as far as my research,, he was not killed until Nov 63,,,why would there be a 63 coin?,,, I have tons of 64 coins. I have pvt mssgd the writer and asked Admins to look into this,,, lets all back up,,,seems we have folks on DU spreading lies?? snark initiated OMG snark off

[ProudLib72]

30. I just found one last week

Still have it. JFK 1994 half dollar.

[red dog 1]

31. But do you remember $2.00 bills?

[mnhtnbb]

32. Yes. My dad would bring them home for fun

when I was a kid in the late 50's.

[Brother Buzz]

33. You gotta visit my local hardware store - they still use half dollars, AND....

two dollar bills!

[mulsh]

34. my dad saved $.50 coins he'd get in change and take my mom to lunch when he got enough. Usually at

least twice a year. The other coins went into a bucket for us kid's vacation money. He also collected $2.00 bills when he could get them. Those took longer to accumulate but he'd take mom out for a nice dinner about every other year. I have 5 $2.00 tucked in my wallet in memory of dear old dad.

[Flaleftist]

40. Go to any bank and you should be able to get some.

People rarely use them anymore.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

41. No, they're real and they're still around.

But you don't find them very often. I think I saw one about a year ago.

[smirkymonkey]

43. Yes, I actually remember them.

And there was a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin wasn't there? Or did I dream that one?