Is This 1982 Gold Kennedy Half Dollar a Rare Coin?
This is a 1982 Kennedy half dollar that has been gold-plated and counter-stamped.
Did the U.S. Mint Issue this Kennedy Half Dollar?
While the U.S. Mint did issue your Kennedy half dollar, the counter-stamp and the gold plating were added after its issuance by a third party.
There are a few 24-karat gold-plated Kennedy half dollars available from private sellers on various marketplaces. There are also a few with counter-stamped dates that were sold to commemorate John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s inauguration.
These dates include 1960-1980 and 1960-1985. These were plated and counter-stamped for the 20th and 25th anniversaries of JFK’s inauguration.
How Can I Be Certain This is not a Gold Half Dollar?
There are two things we can look for to confirm this.
The first is that there was no 1982 gold Kennedy half dollar. In 2014, the U.S. Mint issued a gold Kennedy half dollar.
The 2014 issue was the first Mint-issued gold Kennedy half dollar. We can therefore deduce that no 1982 Kennedy half dollar was issued in gold.
Secondly, look at the 1960-1980 dates. Are they above the words ‘In God We Trust’ and on either side of JFK’s bust on the obverse side of the coin? Are the dates raised like the other features of the coin or are they stamped into the coin’s face?
If these years are incused, instead of raised like the year of issue, it is further proof that this is an alteration and not a Mint issue.
There have been Kennedy commemorative issues, like the 1983 JFK 20th Anniversary Commemorative Medal. The design of the 1983 JFK Medal is different from the Kennedy half dollar and does not contain the dates 1960-1980. It features the dates 1963-1983 on the reverse instead of the obverse, below mirrored eagles.
