The 1973 half-dollar coins have decent value. Depending on the grade and condition of your coin, you could get as much as $500 to $1,000 for it. This article will give you an idea of the value of a 1973 Kennedy coin.
1973 Half Dollar: Grades and Values
The 1973 Kennedy Half Dollar is a widely available coin. Uncirculated coins of all grades are worth $1, which is exactly twice the face value, and about ten times the melt value, which is presently about $0.08.
Uncirculated coins start at $5 with small increments as the grade increases. So you’ll get an MS65 for $26 to $28.
| 1973 Half Dollar Value Chart | ||||
| Mint | Extremely fine (XF40) | Uncirculated
(MS60) |
Brilliant uncirculated
(MS65) |
Gem uncirculated
(MS68) |
| 1973 (P) Half Dollar | $1 | $5 | $28 | $400 |
| 1973-D Half Dollar | $1 | $5 | $26 | $1,100 |
| 1973-S Half Dollar (Proof )
|
– |
$4
|
$5(PR)
$6(CAM) $7(DCAM) |
$9(PR)
$12(CAM) $13(DCAM) |
1973 Half Dollar History
The 1973 half-dollar marks the 10th year of the Kennedy half-dollar series, which started in 1964.
The design of the coin is the same as it was in 1964 when Congress first approved the creation of the half-dollar, but the composition is vastly different. The original half-dollars were silver coins, but this was changed the following year and again in 1971. The change in composition was due to increasing prices of silver and to discourage people from hoarding the coins.
The 1973 Kennedy coins and all half-dollar coins since have been nickel-clad coins made with 25% nickel over a 75% pure copper core.
Business strikes of the coin were minted in Denver and Philadelphia with a collective mintage of 150 million. On the other hand, proof strikes were minted exclusively in San Francisco and numbered 2.7 million.
1973 Half Dollar Appearance and Features
The Kennedy half-dollar is the second biggest US coin after the Eisenhower dollar. The design is also well-liked and admired.
The Obverse of the 1973 Half Dollar
The obverse design of the coin was created by Gilroy Roberts, who was the chief engraver of the US Mint at the time. This design has been featured on all Kennedy half-dollar coins from 1964 till date.
The design had the following elements
- Left-facing image of the 35th US President, John F. Kennedy.
- The legend “LIBERTY” round the top half of the coin
- The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”
- The release date of 1973, arching along the lower rim
Reverse of the 1973 Half Dollar
The reverse was designed by Frank Gasparro, and it included the following elements
- The face value ” HALF DOLLAR” at the bottom edge
- Modified presidential seal
- The phrase “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” is written along the edge of the top half of the coin.
Other Features of the 1973 Half Dollar
Besides composition, other features of the coin that aren’t immediately obvious are the weight and diameter. It has a weight of 11.34 g and a diameter of 30.6 mm.
| 1973 Half Dollar Features | |
| Face value | 50 cents ($0.50) |
| Composition | 75% copper and 25% nickel |
| Shape | Round |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Weight | 11.34 g |
| Thickness | 2.15 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mintage | 148,135,400 and 2,760,339 proofs |
1973 No Mint Mark (P) Half Dollar: Value and Grading
In 1973, the Philadelphia Mint produced approximately 65 million Kennedy half dollars. And many of these coins are still available today.
Since the coins aren’t rare, the prices are also not high. Circulated 1973 (P) half-dollar coins are valued between $0.10 and $1, depending on the grade.
Even mint-state coins are also common, as the coins were well-struck. The result is MS60 Kennedy coins that cost $5. The value increases slightly to $10 for an MS64 coin. At MS65, you begin to see greater values for 1973 (P) half-dollars. An MS65 is worth $28.
Scarcity kicks in at MS66, resulting in a jump in value to $70. And at MS67 the price is $400, as 1973 (P) half-dollars of this grade are rare, and difficult to find.
The current auction record for the 1973 (p) half-dollar is $1,400 for an MS67 sold on eBay in 2022.
| 1973 No Mint (P) Half Dollar Value List | |
| Grade | Value |
| About Uncirculated (50) | $1 |
| MS 60 | $5 |
| MS 61 | $6 |
| MS 62 | $7 |
| MS 63 | $9 |
| MS 64 | $10 |
| MS 64+ | $15 |
| MS 65 | $28 |
| MS 65+ | $35 |
| MS66 | $70 |
| MS 66+ | $115 |
| MS 67 | $400 |
1973-D Half Dollar: Grading and Value
The Denver Mint made even more coins than Philadelphia. The mintage of D marked 1973 half-dollars was about 83.1 million. As such, the coin is very common and the values are quite low.
The values are very similar to those of the 1973 (P) half-dollars. All grades of uncirculated 1973-D coins cost $1 or less. The price increases to $5 for MS60 uncirculated coins, reaching $10 for an MS64.
At brilliant uncirculated grades, 1973-D 50-cent coins become less common, and the value jumps to $26 for an MS65 and $36 for an MS66.
The gem uncirculated coins command a premium. An MS67+ goes for $900, while a near-perfect MS68 is worth an impressive $11,000.
But the auction record for the 1973-D half-dollar is nowhere near that amount. The current record stands at $1,705, sold by Heritage Auctions in 2013. This amount might not seem impressive at first, but when you consider that it is an MS62 coin.
| 1973-D Half Dollar Value List | |
| Grade | Value |
| About Uncirculated (50) | $1 |
| MS 60 | $5 |
| MS 61 | $6 |
| MS 62 | $7 |
| MS 63 | $9 |
| MS 64 | $10 |
| MS 64+ | $12 |
| MS 65 | $26 |
| MS 65+ | $30 |
| MS66 | $36 |
| MS 66+ | $50 |
| MS 67 | $250 |
| MS 67+ | $900 |
| MS 68 | $11,000 |
1973-S Half Dollar (Proof): Grade and Value
In 1973, the San Francisco Mint minted only proof Kennedy coins. Approximately 2.76 million proof coins were made. Although they were the only proofs of 1973, the coins still had the S mint mark like regular business strike coins.
These coins are one of the more common proofs in the Kennedy half dollar series, and you can find almost all grades easily. Only MS69 and MS70 DCAM proofs are rare and have relatively high values.
Proof coins are graded based on the toning and strike characteristics. The lowest grades of the 1973-proof Kennedy coins have slightly less value than the MS coins, ranging from $4 for a PR60 to $16 for a PR69.
Cameo 1973 50-cent proof coins are basically the same thing, Starting at $4 and finishing at $18 for a PR69 CAM.
Even the highest-quality Deep Cameo (DCAM) 1973 half-dollars proofs have a lower value than the business strikes, as a PR69 DCAM is worth just $19, and a Perfect PR70 costs $1,600 which is an extremely low value for PR70.
These low values make the 1973 Kennedy proof one of few proof coins that is worth less than its business strike coins.
However, the coin redeems itself a bit at auctions. The present record is $4,888 for a PR70 DCAM sold by Heritage Auction in April 2014.
| 1973 S Half Dollar Proof Value List | |||
| Grade | PR | Cameo (CAM) | Deep Cameo (DCAM) |
| PR 60 | $4 | $4 | $4 |
| PR 61 | $4 | $4 | $4 |
| PR 62 | $4 | $4 | $4 |
| PR 63 | $4 | $4 | $5 |
| PR 64 | $4 | $5 | $6 |
| PR 65 | $5 | $6 | $7 |
| PR 66 | $6 | $7 | $8 |
| PR 67 | $7 | $8 | $9 |
| PR 68 | $8 | $10 | $12 |
| PR 68+ | $9 | $12 | $13 |
| PR 69 | $16 | $18 | $20 |
| PR 70 | – | – | $1,600 |
1973 Kennedy Half Dollar: Error Coins
There are many examples of 1973 half-dollar error coins. The errors range from minor clip errors to dramatic denomination errors. Some of the error coins are worth thousands, while others are worth a few dollars.
1973 D Kennedy Half Dollar Clip Error
This is a 1973-D Kennedy half-dollar with a minor clip error.
Clip errors like this happen when the punching die overlaps a previously punched hole or the edge of the planchet metal strip. The result is what you see: an incomplete clip at the point of the overlap.
In the case of this coin, the overlap was small, so the coin wasn’t badly affected. On the obverse, the clip only affects the letter Y in Liberty, while on the reverse it grazes the top of the last 4 letters in “AMERICA”.
The coin is ANACS-certified as AU50 (About circulation) and is priced at $39.
1973-S Kennedy Half Dollar Triple Strike Error
This 1973-S proof coin has a rare triple strike error.
Multiple strike errors arise when the coin does not get ejected from the die after the first strike and is then struck again. If the coin gets partly ejected from the die, the next strikes will be off-center. but if it doesn’t get ejected at all, the additional strikes will be on center.
Although most proof coins are double struck to ensure greater and clearer detail, the second strike is always on center so that the image isn’t affected. But this error proof coin has the two subsequent strikes off-center. On the obverse, you can see the lettering appears 3 times, and the same thing on the reverse.
The coin is a PCGS-graded PR64 CAM and is worth $4,680.
1973-S Half Dollar Clashed Die and Wrong Planchet
These 1973 S Proof Kennedy half-dollar coins are unusual even for error coins. The two coins have related errors and are sold together as a set.
First, the coins have a clashed die error. A clashed die error occurs when a pair of dies strike each other without a planchet in between. As such, both dies get a partial impression of the other which will be transferred to the next planchet that they strike.
The two error coins were struck by the same pair of clashed dies, and on both coins, you can see Hints of the eagle’s wings, particularly by the neck of Kennedy’s image.
The second error only affects one coin (the one on the right). You will notice that the top half of the lettering on the left is missing. That’s because the planchet was made for a different coin and is too small for a 1973 Kennedy coin.
Both coins are PCGS certified at PR67 CAM and PR67 respectively. Due to the clashed die error, the two are sold together as a set worth $2,760
1973-D Kennedy 50c half dollar No FG Initials
This 1973-D half-dollar is missing the FG initials on the reverse.
The initials would normally appear under the eagle’s right leg. The initials stand for Frank Gasparro, who designed the Kennedy half-dollars.
When the FG initials are faint or missing completely, it’s usually due to die abrasion from overpolishing, which flattens or removes the part of the die that would have imprinted the initials on the coin.
Coins with missing FG errors are a favorite of numismatists and collectors, and the value for such coins is high.
For instance, this coin is a circulated 1973 half-dollar, but it’s priced at $17 which is way above the value of an uncirculated 1973 50-cent coin.
1973-D Kennedy Half Dollar Double Denomination Error
This 1973-D Kennedy coin has an intriguing denomination error: it was struck on a Washington quarter, and elements of both strikes are visible on both sides of the coin.
On the obverse, you see Kennedy’s face but the head and wing of the eagle from the quarter are also visible. While on the reverse, the same is the case. You can see Washington’s face overlapping the half-dollar eagle.
Most elements of the quarter, like the date, lettering, and mint mark, are present on the coin, though not very visible. However, much of the lettering and date of the half-dollar do not appear because the quarter has a smaller diameter. Only the partial number 3 at the bottom of the coin confirms the date.
The coin is an NGC-graded MS67 and is valued at $11,750
1973-D Kennedy Half Dollar Broken Nose Error
Here we have another circulated 1973-D 50-cent error coin.
You can clearly see the error on Kennedy’s nose, which appears to have broken off, as it’s not connected to the rest of his face.
This is another case of die abrasion from overpolishing. This coin has a price of $13.95.
Jenson is a professional numismatist, a dedicated coin collector, a graduate of the College of Business at Oregon State, a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and an overall coin nerd. He is the founder of Coin Value List.