1987-S 50C, DCAM PR69DCAM Certification #37323860, PCGS #96828

Charles Morgan

1987-S Kennedy Half Dollar

In 1987, the United States Mint halted the production of Kennedy Half Dollars for general circulation. According to the 1988 Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, existing supplies were "sufficient for current needs," meaning new strikes were reserved exclusively for collectors and distributed through the annual Uncirculated Coin Sets. Demand for these sets was markedly lower than demand for Proof Sets, and for the 1987 release, Proofs outnumbered business strikes from either the Denver or Philadelphia Mint, with 4,227,728 Proofs compared to roughly 2.89 million pieces from each of the other facilities. For the San Francisco Mint, this represented a surge in Proof demand. The 1987-S San Francisco mintage represented a significant surge in collector demand. At 4,227,728 pieces, it became the highest-mintage Proof issue in the Kennedy series since the Bicentennial peak of 1976, surpassing the previous 1981-S high-water mark of 4,063,083.

Production and Distribution

The 1987-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof (#96828) was available through two primary products sold between June 1987 and June 1988:

• 1987 Proof Sets: 844,291 units sold.
• 1987 Prestige Proof Sets: 102,245 units sold.

A New Mintmark Style Debuts

While no major varieties are listed in the Cherrypickers’ Guide, 1987 marked a subtle design shift. The Mint introduced the MMS-007 style mintmark, which is slightly thicker than the "very tall" MMS-006 style used previously. This style remained the standard for Proof Kennedy halves through 1990. Unlike the Proof issues of 1979 and 1981, the Mint deployed the new mintmark for all coins struck this year. 

Collecting the 1987-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof

Because 1987 Proof Sets remain plentiful and affordable, acquiring a high-quality 1987-S Kennedy Half Dollar Proof is relatively easy for collectors. In the numismatic marketplace, the issue is typically sold as a certified coin, part of a full set, or as a "raw" coin that has been removed from its original packaging for individual sale.

The Mint’s quality control for 1987-S Proofs was exceedingly good. As a result, collectors who purchased Proof Sets received attractive coins with highly mirrored fields and Deep Cameo frost on the devices. The packaging was not airtight, however; depending on the level of care taken to store the sets, toning or haze could develop over time. If removed from the plastic protective holder, the risk of atmospheric damage increases, as does the potential for incidental surface marks from improper handling.

Here, the benefits of PCGS certification clearly manifest, offering a higher degree of protection against environmental exposure while providing collectors with a definitive statement of quality. While the certified population does not necessarily reflect the overall quality distribution of uncertified coins "in the wild," it does indicate the ability of professional market makers to source coins of sufficient quality for certification. We see a Proof 69 and Proof 70 breakdown similar to most Proof issues of the era: 69s are significantly more common, but 70s are by no means rare.

These populations will continue to increase over time, but there appears to be no shortage of collectors entering the market with an interest in 20th-century coinage. For those looking to scratch that "big coin" itch, what better series is there than the popular Kennedy Half Dollar?

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