Rare 2020 Half Dollar Errors Worth Money (With Pictures)

Are Kennedy half dollars worth collecting? That’s a common question among beginners looking to start collecting halves. 

The short answer is: Yes. The Kennedy half is extremely popular among collectors for its historical and sentimental value. First produced in 1964 to commemorate J.F. Kennedy’s assassination, the half-dollar is a valuable addition to any collection.

If you are ready to take your coin collection game to the next level, you will find this 2020 half-dollar errors list useful. You will discover the most valuable Kennedy half-dollar errors worth adding to your collection. 

But, before we get started, let’s learn a bit about the history of the Kennedy half dollar. 

A Brief History of the Kennedy Half Dollar

So popular are Kennedy half dollars that they have always been hoarded since they were first released into circulation in 1964. Despite the Mint increasing year-on-year production, half dollars continued being scarce and were hardly seen in circulation.

The Mint halted production of the Kennedy half dollar in 2001 but resumed a year later from 2002 to 2020 only this time, the coins were minted to meet collectors’ demand and sold at a premium.

The Mint issued the 2020 half-dollars minted at the Philadelphia and Denver facilities in two coin roll sets each containing 20 half-dollars from Philly and 20 from Denver at an initial selling price of $34.50. The Mint also issued larger coin bags containing 200 coins, each carrying 100 half dollars from the two minting facilities. The selling price for the coin bags was $147.

At face value, 2020 half dollars are quite inexpensive and will set you back about $0.55 to $0.65 depending on the condition while in mint state, you can expect as much as $25. 

That said, 2020 half-dollar errors are also worth looking into– these special coins can be worth a fortune depending on the type of error and the coin’s condition.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the half-dollar, let’s delve into our 2020 half-dollar errors list and discover unique error coins worth adding to your Kennedy halves collection.

1. 2020 Kennedy US Half Dollar Die Crack Error 

Some 2020 Kennedy half dollars were struck using worn dies, resulting in die crack errors on the coin’s surface. 

A die crack error occurs when a small piece of the die’s surface breaks off and leaves a small hole. If the die continues to be used, the small hole will fill with metal and leave a raised line on the surface of the final coin. This conspicuous raised line is known as a die crack.

Look out for die crack errors on the obverse and reverse. A 2020 half dollar with a die crack error can fetch between $20 and $30 depending on the coin’s condition and size of the error.

 

2. 2020 Kennedy Half Dollar Struck Through Mint Error

Another error that appears on some 2020 Kennedy half dollars is the struck-through, also known as strike-through. This error occurs when a foreign object comes between the die and planchet, leaving its impression on the final coin.

Foreign objects can be anything from a speck of dust, a tiny piece of debris or a layer of grease. When any of these enter the pressing hub, they can be struck onto the planchet, resulting in a struck-through mint error. 

The value of a 2020 half-dollar struck-through error will depend on the coin’s condition and nature of the error. A large struck-through grease error is likelier to be more valuable than a small one.

One 2020 half-dollar in mint state with a prominent struck-through error on the obverse, specifically over Kennedy’s cheek sold for an impressive $57.

 

3. 2020 Kennedy Half Dollar Feeder Finger Error 

Feeder finger errors are not as common but they do happen and can be found on some 2020 Kennedy half dollars. This error occurs when feeder fingers on the striking hub get damaged and can get in the way during the coin-striking process. This results in the feeder’s fingers damaging the dies by making lines that are transferred to the coin’s surface.

The lines caused by a feeder finger error can be hard to notice with the naked eye but a professional coin grader or experienced collector may notice the damage. The feeder finger line will typically run from the top downward on the coin’s surface.

A 2020 Kennedy half-dollar with a feeder finger error is worth about $3 to $5. While this may not seem like much, it is well above the face value of a half dollar.

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4. 2020 Half Dollar Doubled Die Obverse Error

A few 2020 half dollars were struck with a doubled die obverse error. A doubled die error occurs when the die strikes the coin at slightly different angles with each strike, causing visible overlapping on the devices. 

In many of the 2020 half-dollars, doubling is mostly noticeable on the words IN GOD WE TRUST with doubling most visible on R, U, S. 

There are also 2020 half dollars with the doubled die reverse error but these are scarcer and therefore more valuable than doubled die obverse error coins.

Expect to pay anything in the range of $30 and $40 for a 2020 half-dollar with a doubled die obverse error depending on the coin’s condition. One with a reverse error can fetch $30 to $50 although collectors may be willing to pay more for rarer half dollars with a doubled die reverse error.

 

5. 2020 Half Dollar Broadstrike With Off-Center Error

Broad-strike or broadstruck and off-center errors are relatively scarce in the 2020 Kennedy half dollar series but collectors have discovered a few examples. 

Broadstrike errors occur when the die strikes the planchet outside of the collar. This results in the final coin having a larger than usual diameter. This error can sometimes cause an off-center error although off-center errors can also occur on their own. 

An off-center error occurs when the die and coin are misaligned, resulting in the coin’s design being struck away from the center. The percentage of off-ness determines the coin’s value. The greater the off-center percentage, the more valuable the error. 

A 2020 half dollar graded MS65 with a broadstrike and a 10% off-center error was sold for $130. Such an error coin is definitely worth looking out for– it can add significant value to your collection.

 

6. 2020 Kennedy Half Dollar Misaligned Error

As you collect 2020 half dollars, look out for coins with a misaligned error- they can be a valuable addition to your collection. 

A misaligned error happens when the hammer and anvil die are out of alignment. This results in the obverse design being misaligned with the reverse design when the coin faces upright. 

For example, the obverse design may face up as normal but the reverse design may be rotated upside down or at a 90-degree angle.

A misalignment makes an interesting addition to your collection. Expect about $20 to $30 for a 2020 half-dollar with a misaligned error but this value will depend on the coin’s condition, with those in mint state being worth more.

 

7. 2020 Half Dollar With a Filled-In Mint Mark

Filled-in mint marks are not uncommon errors but there aren’t many examples of this error in the 2020 half dollar series. A filled-in mint mark can result from a worn die, a die chip error, a worn mintmark punch, or a foreign object such as debris or dust.

A filled-in mint mark error will depend on the coin’s condition. Generally, a 2020 half-dollar with a filled-in mint mark is worth between $5 and $10, while not worth a lot, it is more than the half-dollar’s face value and a worthwhile addition to your collection.

 

8. 2020 Missing Clad Layer Half-Dollar Error 

There are a few examples of 2020 Kennedy half dollars with a clad layer error. The most expensive one is graded MS65 and sold for an impressive $142. 

A missing clad layer error occurs when the nickel outer layer doesn’t bond to the copper core during the process of preparing the planchet. This results in the outer layer peeling off on one side so the final coin would have one side with a nickel layer and the other side would have the copper core exposed.

This error coin is scarce in the 2020 half-dollar series, making it a nice addition to your collection.

 

9. 2020 Half Dollar Clipped Planchet Error 

The clipped planchet is yet another rare but valuable error in the 2020 half dollar series. There are many types of clipped errors but they primarily occur when the planchet is improperly fed into the striking hub, resulting in the final coin having part of its edge missing.

As mentioned, half dollars with a clipped planchet are scarce but this error coin is obviously easy to identify. So, if you are lucky enough to spot a 2020 Kennedy half dollar with such an error, you should strongly consider adding it to your collection. 

The most expensive 2020 half dollar with a clipped planchet error was sold for $170. It is recommended that you bring your coin to a professional coin grader to determine that the clip is a genuine minting error.