1968 Kennedy Half Dollar Value (D, S Mint Mark & Errors Worth)

Got an old 50-cent silver coin from 1968 in your collection? It’s time you take it out because this 1986 Kennedy Half Dollar could make you rich. That’s right! This coin has been fetching premium prices of up to $25,000 at auctions. This price guide will help you find out whether your 1968 silver half dollar is worth a big fortune, too!

A circulated 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar typically ranges between $3-$5, mainly for its silver content. However, this price can increase up to $25,000 depending on several factors, such as condition (uncirculated or mint state), mint marks, and minting errors.

Identify a Real 1968 Silver Half Dollar (Design & Features)

The first step to identifying a genuine 1968 Kennedy Silver Half Dollar coin is to verify the design details on both sides. Next, authenticate its composition of 40% silver and 60% copper and other physical features.

Obverse Design (By Gilroy Roberts):

• A left-facing profile portrait of President John F. Kennedy
• “LIBERTY” inscribed along the upper edge
• The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” divided on either side of Kennedy’s neck
• The date “1968” at the bottom edge
• The designer’s initials “GR” (for Gilroy Roberts) at the truncation of Kennedy’s neck
• The mint mark (D/S) below Kennedy’s neck

Reverse Design (By Frank Gasparro)

• An eagle with wings spread, holding an olive branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left
• A shield with vertical and horizontal bars positioned in front of the eagle
• “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on a ribbon held in the eagle’s beak
• Fifty small stars (representing the fifty states) surrounding the central design
• “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” along the top edge
• “HALF DOLLAR” along the bottom edge
• The designer’s initials “FG” (for Frank Gasparro) beneath the eagle’s left wing

Coin Composition, Weight & Other Physical Features

The 1968 Kennedy Silver Half Dollar was struck with a composition of 40% silver and 60% copper. Below are its other physical characteristics, like size, diameter, weight, and more.

Finding the Value of a 1968 Silver Half Dollar (3 Key Factors)

As mentioned above, the final value of a 1968 Kennedy Silver Half Dollar depends on three major factors, condition/grades, mint marks, and mint errors.

Let’s analyze each factor below!

1. Coin Grades & Colors

The value of a 1968 Half Dollar is largely influenced by its grade, which is a professional measurement of the coin’s condition and preservation. The grades (on the Sheldon Scale) range from Poor-1 (P-1) to Perfect Mint State-70, with higher grades meaning better preservation.

For the 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar, uncirculated examples (MS-60 to MS-70) command higher prices than examples graded below 60. Moreover, the value of uncirculated coins also depends on grade.

For example, an MS-65 1978 silver half dollar from Denver usually sells for about $20-$25, while the same coin in MS-67 grade can fetch $300-700, and up to $5,000 in MS-68 grade!

2. 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar Mint Marks & Mintage

The Kennedy Half Dollar was minted at two locations: Denver and San Francisco, with the total mintage reaching 250,092,436 coins. But both locations produced different numbers of coins with unique mint marks that affect their relative rarity and value.

1968 D Kennedy Half Dollar Value (Mintage – 246,951,930)

The Denver Mint struck almost 247 million silver half dollar coins in 1968, identifiable by the small D mint mark on the obverse. Due to its higher mintage and standard strike, 1968 D Kennedy half dollars are commonly available in most grades with average collectability.

Nonetheless, it can fetch premium prices of a few thousand dollars in high grades. For example, a 1986-D Half Dollar in MS68 sold for an auction record price of $7,500 on eBay as per PCGS.

Here is the average value of a 1968 D Kennedy Half Dollar by grade:

• MS60-MS64: $10-18
• MS65-MS65+: $20-60
• MS66-MS66+: $60-160
• MS67-MS67+: $350-5,000
• MS68-MS68+: $15,000 (Expected)

1968-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof Value (Mintage – 3,041,506)

The San Francisco Mint produced only about 3 million Proof Kennedy Half Dollars in 1968, bearing an “S” mint mark. Unlike business strikes, proof coins were specially made with polished dies and planchets, giving them a unique reflective surface with sharp details.

Owing to their unique appearance and rarity, the proof 1968 silver half dollars are more valuable than 1968 D half dollars, with the highest price reaching over $20,000 for PR68 grade.

Apart from grades, the value of a proof coin also depends on two designations:

• Cameo Proof – These coins feature a subtle contrast between raised devices and mirror-like surfaces, making them slightly more valuable than standard proof coins.
• Deep Cameo Proof – Deep Cameo proof coins display a stronger contrast on the surface. These coins can fetch premium prices, especially in high grades like PR70, like this PR70DCAM example sold for $24,000 on Stack’s & Bowers Auctions!

Here are the values of 1968-S Silver Half Dollar proof coins by grades and designations:

3. Rare 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar Mint Errors

Minting errors can significantly increase an ordinary coin’s value. For the 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar, the following mint errors are worth looking for!

Double Die Obverse

The Double Die Obverse error occurs when the hub impresses the design onto a die multiple twice with slight misalignment. You can spot a DDO on 1968 Kennedy Half Dollars as doubling on lettering in “LIBERTY,” date elements, and Kennedy’s features on the obverse.

The value of the 1968 half dollar with DDO error can range from $50-$100 for minor doubling to $200-$500 or more for major doubling in mint state. A proof

Triple Die Obverse (FS-101)

This is the die obverse error, except this one has three distinct impressions of design elements, especially on the date, “LIBERTY,” and President Kennedy’s profile. However, despite the rarity of the error, the 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar with TDO error is worth around $50-400, even in high grades.

Double Die Reverse

Similar to Double Die Obverse, the Double Die Reverse shows doubling on the coin’s reverse side, especially on eagle, shield, and lettering in “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “HALF DOLLAR.”

DDR examples of a 1968 Kennedy half dollar can range from $100-$3,000 or more, depending on the severity of the doubling and the coin’s overall condition.

Struck Thru Detached Obverse Clad Layer

This error occurs when the entire clad layer separates from the core and both pieces are struck together. This creates a rare coin with an impression of the detached layer visible on its surface, creating a ghost-like doubled image.

Due to its rarity, this error coin can fetch premium prices even in Almost Uncirculated state. For instance, an AU55 example sold for $300 on Heritage Auctions. Gem Mint condition error coins can fetch $500 to $2,000 or more.

Curved Clip Error

This error happens when the coin blank is improperly fed in the metal-cutting machine, causing the planchet to be punched out removing part of the metal from the edge.

Depending on the size of the clip and the coin’s grade, this error can fetch $70 to $800, like this MS61 example with 28% curved clip realized almost $85 on Heritage Auctions! Another example is a MS-64 coin with only 2% clip, sold for over $45 on eBay!

Obverse Struck Thru Partial Clad Layer

This fascinating error occurs when the outer layer of the clad planchet partially separates before striking. The result is areas of exposed copper showing through on the obverse surface where the silver-colored cladding is missing.

These 1968 Kennedy half dollar error coins typically sell for $150-$800 depending on the size of the exposed area and overall condition, like this MS64 example that realized $720 on Heritage Auctions.

Inverted Mintmark (FS-511)

As the name suggests, this rare error coin features a mintmark that was punched into the die upside down. You can find it on both 1968-D and 1968-S Kennedy Half Dollars, with values depending on both the mint mark and the coin’s condition.

The average value of a 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar with Inverted Mintmark can range from $50 to $500 or more, such as this PR64 example sold for almost $60 on Heritage Auctions!

Off-center Strike

Off-center errors happen when the planchet is improperly positioned during striking, causing the design to appear off-center, with a portion of the coin blank. The value depends on how far off-center the strike is and whether the date is visible.

A 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar struck 20-50% off-center with the date showing can be worth $200-$1,000, with major off-centers fetching more. For example, an MS63 Half Dollar with 40% off-center sold for $372 on Heritage Auctions in 2021. Generally, MS63 examples are only worth around $10.

Triple Clip + Partial Collar

Sometimes, a single coin can feature two or more errors at the same time, making it even rarer. This dramatic 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar features a triple clip (occurs when the blank is improperly fed through the coin press with three edges missing) and partial collar (occurs when the coin is not properly seated in the collar die).

The result is a rare error coin with three clips on the edges and an irregular, raised rim on the remaining portion. The value of this coin error can range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the coin’s grades and clip size.