The Year was 1964. The U.S.Government already made a decision to reduce or eliminate silver from our coinage beginning in 1965. Upon obtaining this information, AT&T contracted with Corning Glass Company to create a Kennedy Half Dollar to replace the ever-more-expensive silver. Corning Glass Company presented the idea to their scientific department. After a few weeks of experimentation (trial and error) a ultra-low cost pattern Kennedy Half Dollar-size coin was produced made entirely of clear photochromic glass. (Photo courtesy of Bowers and Merena archived on uspatterns.com (click photo for enlargement): Photochromic Glass Kennedy Half Dollar Pattern Of course it wasn't deemed viable and thus we have silver clad metal Half Dollars in our collections dated 1965 through 1970. And now you know... Clinker
Gee, thanks! Now there's NO chance of my Kennedy half collection will ever being complete! *lol* Thanks for sharing! Fascinating tidbit there.
thanks clinker thats cool. I've also heard more recently talks of coins being made out of ceramic materials.
Interesting, Clinker - I had no idea about the concept of a "glass half". And of course I have never seen one ... until I read your post. Hmm, I wonder how such a glass piece could have different obverse and reverse designs. Photochromic glass would change its "color" depending on the light around it, right? Christian
High Christian... I don't know the qualities of photochromic gass, but it dosen't seem prismaric... Clinker
