Virginia collector Kenneth Jones Jr. hoped that the $500 box of U.S. half dollars he acquired from his local bank would yield some silver, in the form of 90% silver or 40% silver issues. Instead, he received circulation-quality 2021-P Kennedy copper-nickel clad half dollars in the box.

Collectors in the states of Washington and California have already posted on social media outlets about finding 2021-D Kennedy half dollars in $500 face value boxes they received from their local banks.

One Washington collector reports he has been getting boxes of new Kennedy half dollars annually since 2018.

The U.S. Mint and Federal Reserve both confirm that the Fed is ordering new Kennedy half dollars in calendar year 2021 for general circulation.

Before this revelation, 2001 was the last year that the Federal Reserve was known to have ordered Kennedy half dollars for release into general circulation. Since, then, the Mint has sold half dollars struck at the Denver Mint and Philadelphia Mint as numismatic products at premiums above face value.

Two-roll P & D sets of 20 coins per rolls are offered by the Mint for $34.50, and a 200-coin mixed bag of 100 coins from each Mint is priced at $147.

Collector messages posted online on social media platforms indicate hobbyists are not pleased with paying premiums for coins they may have been able to acquire at face value at a bank.

Coin World has queried both the Mint and Fed about how long the Fed has been ordering half dollars, how many, for what areas of the country, and why. As of July 15, Coin World was still waiting for the answers.

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