Why 40% Kennedy halves?

40% silver halves

 

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@ Texas John - Hmmm. Well, they've been minting coins a few hundred years longer than us. Maybe that's where we got the equipment!

 

That old issue of CoinAGE is a storehouse of information about coin collecting in the late '60s. That particular issue talks about the "new" Mint facility at Philadelphia, the "new" law that legalized the private melting of US silver coins, the proposed Eisenhower dollar, and proposed changes in the composition of the half dollar, among other things. And some of those ads are amazing-- like the ones offering BU $20 gold pieces for $75-80 each.

 

And the Denver mint at least DID have presses capable of striking coppernickel clad half dollars. They had the reworked WWII ammunition presses that were to be used for the striking of the 1964 peace dollars. They required a higher tonnage than is needed for the coppernickel clad halves.

 

I read the same thing. It had nothing to do with Kennedy's memory or the price of silver, but the equipment.