Numismatic

1973 Kennedy Half Dollar BU

---

The 1973 Kennedy half dollar stands as a prominent piece of modern American coinage, showcasing a design that honors the nation's thirty-fifth president. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this fifty-cent piece is preserved in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, meaning it retains its original luster and sharp details just as it appeared when leaving the minting press. Unlike earlier silver issues in this series, this coin features a copper-nickel clad composition, where an outer layer of copper and nickel is bonded to an inner core of pure copper. On the obverse, the profile of John F. Kennedy faces left, a powerful portrait created by sculptor Gilroy Roberts. The inscription "IN GOD WE TRUST" is positioned across the lower portion of the bust, with the date of 1973 appearing at the bottom. The reverse, designed by Frank Gasparro, features a detailed heraldic eagle. The eagle holds a bundle of arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other, symbolizing both strength and peace. The inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "HALF DOLLAR" frame this central patriotic motif, making the coin a fascinating study in mid-twentieth-century American numismatic art.