Kennedy Half- 1983S 1 1

[Jiim]

I have a 1983S Kennedy Half (business strike).    I've read that they were only produced for proof coins.

Can anyone provide an explanation?  Thanks very much

[Just Bob]

Welcome to the forum.

Without pictures, it will be difficult to explain what you have, but two possibilities are that it is an impaired proof that looks like a business strike, or a business strike that has taken a hit to the "P" or "D" mint mark that makes it look like an "S."

[Jiim]

Here is the photo.  Thanks

[Just Bob]

Nice close-up. It definitely looks like an "S." Can you back up and show pictures of both sides of the coin? I am leaning toward a proof that was placed into circulation. Let's see if the full coin pictures look different.

[Coinbuf]

Is it just me or does that mintmark not look correct, looks altered.

[Morpheus1967]

I believe 1998 also had a Kennedy half with a satin like finish in the special mint set.  

[DWLange]

San Francisco Assay Office (now Mint) employees were stealing proof coins right and left throughout the 1970s-80s, when not busy making contrived mint errors. Tom Miller, who was in charge of the SFAO during those years, told me that several workers were caught spending them at gambling casinos in Reno. The half dollar was the coin of choice, since it was then still being used on gaming tables. It's likely that this was just a normal proof half that got into circulation. The mintmark has been partially sheared through strike doubling.

[Jiim]

Thank you for the information on the 83S half dollar.  Quite an interesting history!  Never knew that proof coins could make their way into circulation.

[Coinbuf]

37 minutes ago, Jiim said:

Thank you for the information on the 83S half dollar.  Quite an interesting history!  Never knew that proof coins could make their way into circulation.

It is actually very common, I have 20-30 proof statehood quarters that I have pulled out of change.  Proof sets from the 70's and 80's have lost so much value because the mint made so many of those sets that some dealers when buying a collection may only pay face value for those sets and then break them out and in some cases just use the coins as change. 

[VKurtB]

54 minutes ago, Jiim said:

Thank you for the information on the 83S half dollar.  Quite an interesting history!  Never knew that proof coins could make their way into circulation.

Seriously? You never could imagine how a proof might get into circulation? Wow.

[VKurtB]

18 minutes ago, Coinbuf said:

It is actually very common, I have 20-30 proof statehood quarters that I have pulled out of change.  Proof sets from the 70's and 80's have lost so much value because the mint made so many of those sets that some dealers when buying a collection may only pay face value for those sets and then break them out and in some cases just use the coins as change. 

+1

[RWB]

RE: " Never knew that proof coins could make their way into circulation."

Yes. Some of the proof coins have tiny, short legs, and they run away as soon as they are struck. They are small enough to slip through cracks and under doors, and that's how they enter circulation.

:)

[VKurtB]

29 minutes ago, RWB said:

RE: " Never knew that proof coins could make their way into circulation."

Yes. Some of the proof coins have tiny, short legs, and they run away as soon as they are struck. They are small enough to slip through cracks and under doors, and that's how they enter circulation.

That might explain what I saw in Llantrisant.

[MarkFeld]

1 hour ago, VKurtB said:

Seriously? You never could imagine how a proof might get into circulation? Wow.

I'm sure a great many people have never seen circulated proof coins or if they did, they weren't aware of it.

[VKurtB]

6 minutes ago, MarkFeld said:

I'm sure a great many people have never seen circulated proof coins or if they did, they weren't aware of it.

Oh I get that many people may not have seen it personally, but not imagining how it happens frankly boggles my mind.

[kbbpll]

54 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Oh I get that many people may not have seen it personally, but not imagining how it happens frankly boggles my mind.

It's sometimes difficult to imagine what other people do with coins. That's why we see so many "errors" posted on forums.

Edited August 17, 2020 by kbbpll

[VKurtB]

Just now, kbbpll said:

It's sometimes difficult to imagine what _other people_ do with coins. That's why we see so many "errors" posted on forums.

Wisdom.

[Jiim]

[MAULEMALL]

20 hours ago, Jiim said:

I went fishing yesterday and the top of my feet got sunburnt..

[1 3 7]

1 hour ago, MAULEMALL said:

I went fishing yesterday and the top of my feet got sunburnt..

Interesting footnote!