1996-D

Denver's 1996 Kennedy half came in at 24,744,000 pieces, modestly above Philadelphia's 24,442,000 and continuing the closely matched mintage pattern that defined the 1992-1998 stretch. The 1996 totals tracked just below the 1995 peak of 26-million-plus per mint, marking the first step in the gradual taper that ran through 1998. Composition followed the standard post-1971 specification: 75% copper, 25% nickel outer clad layers bonded to a pure copper core at 11.34 g, 30.6 mm in diameter with a reeded edge. The D mintmark sits above the date on the obverse, well-defined on the majority of pieces. Roberts's GR initials remain at the neck truncation, with Gasparro's FG to the right of the eagle's tail feathers on the heraldic reverse. The parallel 1996-S clad and silver proof Kennedys were struck at San Francisco and are catalogued separately under the proof program.

Strike characteristics on the 1996-D continue the Denver pattern of slightly sharper central detail relative to the same-year Philadelphia output. The hair waves above the ear, the central detail behind the eye, and the lettering across the obverse legends all come up cleaner on average from Denver dies, the result of die preparation routines that differed marginally between facilities. The eagle's breast feathers and arrow shafts remain the standard grade-distribution weak zones, and cheek and jaw bag marks define the MS66-to-MS67 transition for the entire modern series. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, Numismatic Guaranty Company, have certified the 1996-D heavily at MS65 and MS66; MS67 with full strike and clean fields runs noticeably scarcer. Counterfeit concern is zero at this composition, and authentication reduces to confirming the reeded edge and the layered rim of the cupronickel clad.

For collectors the 1996-D is a routine year-set placeholder, easily filled at minimal cost in any grade through MS65 and at modest cost certified MS66. The original 1996 Mint Set rolls remain the cleanest raw source for MS67 candidates, with the year's expanded P-D-W set covering only the cent and dime, not the half. The 1996-D's collecting story is the standard mid-1990s common-date profile: large mintage, large pool of mint-set survivors, condition-rarity concentrated at MS67 and above. No key-date status, no recognized variety, and no counterfeit pressure. For the broader story of the modern Kennedy half dollar and the series' production arc, see the Kennedy Half Dollar series history.