1968-D

The 1968-D is the first Kennedy half struck with a visible mintmark since 1964. The Treasury reversed the 1965-1967 no-mintmark policy after the coin shortage abated, restoring the D below Kennedy's neck on the obverse, and proof production also resumed this year, moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco where it has stayed ever since. Denver supplied the entire 246,951,930-piece circulation output for 1968, because Philadelphia struck no half dollars for circulation in any year from 1968 through 1979. Composition remained 40% silver-clad, with outer .800 fine silver layers bonded to a .209 silver core, 11.50 grams gross and .14792 troy ounce net silver. The mintmark on this coin sits low, just to the right of the neck truncation, and is a useful authentication anchor for the date.

Strike quality on the 1968-D is solid for the era. Denver's dies held up well across the production run, and Kennedy's hair detail and the eagle's chest feathers come in tighter on average than the 1965 or 1966. The 40% silver-clad construction shows the same diagnostic edge line where the copper-rich inner core is exposed, occasionally extending into faint rim toning over decades, which is original and not damage. Bag marks on the cheek and jawline remain the standard knock against gem candidates, and reverse rim ticks from mint set handling are common. One date-specific note: because mintmarks had been absent for three years, the 1968 mint set was assembled with extra collector attention, which means original government packaging is more frequently intact for this date than for the no-mintmark predecessors. That packaging provenance carries a modest premium at the upper grade tiers.

The 1968-D is a common date in any grade through MS65 and a condition issue from MS66 upward. Population reports show it tracking close to the 1967 in gem availability and well ahead of 1965 and 1966. For year-set, type-set, and composition-set builders it is a single straightforward purchase, usually raw, with certification reserved for the gem ceiling. The collecting arc has been quiet for decades; the date trades on its silver content and a small numismatic premium rather than on any rarity. For the broader story of Roberts and Gasparro's design, the Coinage Act of 1965, and the series' production arc, see the Kennedy Half Dollar series history.