On the left talon, the eagle holds an olive branch, which signifies peace; on the right talon, the eagle holds 13 arrows representing the first 13 colonies of the State.
In front of the eagle is the Union shield. Around the eagle are 50 stars representing all the country’s states. Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR.
The 1973 half dollar is part of the Kennedy half-dollar series that the US Mint first issued in 1964. After the tragic assassination Congress moved immediately to honor the assassinated leader.
The swift approval of the Kennedy half dollar was record-breaking for a US coin. Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparro used their existing work to quickly produce the design of the new half dollar.
The Kennedy half dollar was made of silver when it was first released in 1964. A great number of the coins were hoarded. The new Kennedy half-dollar coin was so popular.