1998 Half Dollar Coin Value (Errors List, “P”, “S” & “D” Mint Mark Worth)

The year 1998 brought both technological revolution and economic prosperity to America, as the internet age transformed daily life while the nation enjoyed robust growth.

During this pivotal moment, the Philadelphia and Denver Mints continued striking Kennedy half dollars, coins that had become symbols of American resilience since 1964.Today, collectors view the 1998 issue as more than just clad currency—it represents a bridge between the analog past and digital future.

While lacking the silver content of earlier decades, its modern composition and conditional scarcity within the Kennedy series ensure it maintains numismatic interest among dedicated half dollar enthusiasts.

 

1998 Half Dollar Value By Variety

Here’s a quick overview of what your 1998 half dollar is worth based on its condition and mint mark:

Tip: Use our CoinValueChecker App for real-time variety identification and current market values. 

 

1998 Half Dollar Market Trend

The 1998 Half Dollar market has displayed distinct phases of collector activity over the past decade.

Initial interest remained dormant until late 2016, when dramatic spikes began appearing, reaching multiple peaks throughout 2017 and early 2018. These surge periods created pronounced market volatility before settling into more moderate activity levels.

Following the early excitement, interest patterns stabilized around mid-range levels from 2018 through 2021, maintaining relatively consistent collector engagement. However, the most recent years show a notable decline in market activity, with trends dropping to their lowest sustained levels since tracking began.

The data reveals cyclical behavior typical of modern commemorative issues, where initial discovery periods generate intense but temporary enthusiasm. Unlike classic series that maintain steady appreciation curves, the 1998 Half Dollar demonstrates how contemporary coins experience concentrated interest windows followed by market normalization.

For comprehensive market context and comparative performance across all major American numismatic categories, consult our US Coin Market Trend Ranking (Top 100), which provides detailed positioning analysis and cross-series trend comparisons.

 

History of the 1998 Half Dollar

The Kennedy half dollar series entered its fourth decade in 1998, maintaining its role as America’s commemorative tribute to the 35th president despite drastically reduced circulation usage.

By this time, the denomination had become largely ceremonial, with most Americans viewing half dollars as novelties rather than practical currency.

The 1998 production year reflected the Mint’s streamlined approach to half dollar manufacturing. Philadelphia and Denver facilities struck business strikes primarily for collectors and vending machine operators, while San Francisco concentrated on proof versions for numismatic sales.

This specialized production model had evolved from the coin’s gradual disappearance from everyday commerce during the 1970s and 1980s.

Striking technology had reached new levels of precision by 1998, with computer-controlled presses ensuring consistent quality across all facilities.

The introduction of “Proof Like” specimens at Denver represented an experimental finishing technique that created mirror-like surfaces on select business strikes, bridging the gap between circulation coins and formal proofs.

The year also marked continued refinement in proof production methods at San Francisco, where Deep Cameo (DCAM) contrast became increasingly standard.

This technical evolution reflected the Mint’s adaptation to a collector-driven market rather than circulation demand, establishing patterns that would define modern half dollar production into the 21st century.

Also Read:10 Most Historic Years of Kennedy Half Dollar (1964-2025）

 

Is your 1998 Half Dollar rare?

The 1998 Kennedy Half Dollar rarity distribution reveals fascinating insights into late-1990s minting practices and collector preferences across different striking methods.

Regular circulation strikes demonstrate the expected pattern, with Philadelphia’s 1998-P achieving “Uncommon” status at rank 47, while Denver’s 1998-D performs slightly better at rank 33. These rankings reflect typical survival rates for modern business strikes, where mint facility differences create subtle availability variations despite similar production volumes.

The 1998-D Proof Like represents a unique experimental category, ranking 362nd with “Common” designation. This lower rarity score suggests Denver produced substantial quantities while testing enhanced finishing techniques, making these specimens more available than their specialized appearance might suggest.

San Francisco’s proof offerings follow predictable patterns for the era’s standardized production methods. The Silver Proof DCAM at rank 96 and regular Proof DCAM at rank 451 both carry “Common” classifications, indicating successful proof manufacturing consistency by this period.

These rankings also reflect broader market dynamics where modern varieties compete against key dates from earlier decades. Contemporary collectors often overlook recent issues in favor of silver-content coins or classic rarities, creating opportunities for astute numismatists.

Our CoinValueChecker App provides instant rarity assessment to help identify valuable varieties within your collection.

For detailed comparative analysis across all Kennedy issues, reference the Kennedy Half Dollar Rarity Ranking (Top 100) for comprehensive series positioning.

 

Key Features of the 1998 Half Dollar

The 1998 Kennedy Half Dollar represents a mature phase in modern American coinage production, where technological advances in minting equipment allowed for consistent quality across multiple facilities while maintaining the commemorative design that had served the nation for over three decades.

The Obverse Of The 1998 Half Dollar

Kennedy’s portrait appears with the clarity achieved through improved die preparation techniques of the late 1990s. The profile captures presidential dignity through careful attention to facial structure and proportion.

Hair details flow naturally across the forehead and back of the head, with individual texture elements clearly defined. The eye area shows dimensional depth that creates a lifelike appearance, while the nose and mouth exhibit proper anatomical relationships.

“LIBERTY” spans the upper portion in block lettering that maintains readability and visual impact. “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears divided around the portrait base, with clear spacing between individual words.

The date “1998” sits along the bottom edge in numerals sized to balance the overall composition. Roberts’ initials “GR” remain positioned at the neck area, continuing the designer attribution established with the original 1964 design.

Mint marks appear above the date with sharp definition – “P” for Philadelphia, “D” for Denver, and “S” for San Francisco proof issues.

The Reverse Of The 1998 Half Dollar

The heraldic eagle dominates the reverse design with wings spread in a traditional pose representing American authority and freedom. Feather details throughout both wings show clear separation and natural flow.

The eagle holds thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch with thirteen leaves in the other, symbolizing military readiness balanced with peaceful intentions. The head faces toward the olive branch, indicating preference for diplomatic solutions.

“UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” curves along the top rim while “HALF DOLLAR” follows the bottom curve. Both inscriptions use consistent letter spacing and sizing.

Fifty stars encircle the eagle in a uniform pattern, each struck with adequate depth to maintain visibility. The heraldic shield on the eagle’s chest displays thirteen alternating stripes with clear definition between raised and recessed areas.

Gasparro’s “FG” initials appear near the eagle’s lower left, acknowledging the reverse designer’s contribution to the series.

Other Features Of The 1998 Half Dollar

The coin maintains copper-nickel clad construction with a copper core and outer layers of 75% copper, 25% nickel. This composition provides durability while keeping production costs manageable.

Standard dimensions include 30.6mm diameter and 11.34g weight, matching specifications established when the clad composition began in 1971.

The edge contains 150 reeded grooves cut uniformly around the circumference, serving both anti-counterfeiting and identification purposes.

 

1998 Half Dollar Mintage & Survival Data

The 1998 Kennedy Half Dollar mintage totaled over 33 million coins across all varieties, with business strikes dominating production at both Philadelphia and Denver facilities. Regular strikes achieved nearly identical mintage levels, with Philadelphia producing 15,646,000 pieces and Denver striking 15,064,000 coins.

Survival rates reveal stark contrasts between circulation strikes and collector-focused issues. Both Philadelphia and Denver business strikes maintain identical 50% survival rates, reflecting typical preservation patterns for modern clad coinage where collectors saved substantial quantities anticipating future value.

The Denver Proof Like variety shares the same mintage as regular Denver strikes but lacks survival data, suggesting this experimental finishing technique may not have been properly tracked or distinguished during initial distribution.

San Francisco proof production shows the characteristic high survival rates associated with collector coins. The Silver Proof DCAM achieved 95% survival from its 878,792 mintage, while the regular Proof DCAM maintained identical 95% survival from 2,086,507 pieces struck.

These exceptional preservation rates demonstrate the careful handling proof coins received from contemporary numismatists.

For comprehensive survival analysis across all Kennedy issues, reference our Kennedy Half Dollar Survival Ranking (Top 100) which provides detailed preservation metrics for the complete series.

 

1998 Half Dollar Grading

Grading the 1998 Kennedy Half Dollar benefits from the improved striking quality achieved through late-1990s minting technology, though collectors must still understand the series’ characteristic wear patterns and design vulnerabilities.

The copper-nickel clad composition shows contact marks differently than silver coins, with scratches and handling evidence appearing more prominently on the softer outer layers. Key grading areas include Kennedy’s cheek and jaw line on the obverse, where even minor contact creates visible detractions from mint state designation.

On the reverse, the eagle’s breast and wing tips serve as primary grading focal points, as these high-relief areas attract contact during bag handling and circulation. The field areas around “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” also reveal bag marks and surface disturbances that distinguish mint state grades.

Proof varieties require different evaluation criteria, with cameo contrast between frosted devices and mirror fields determining premium designations. Deep Cameo (DCAM) specimens command higher values when the contrast remains sharp and uncompromised.

Our CoinValueChecker App provides instant grade assessment to help determine your coin’s condition and value.

Understanding these grade-specific characteristics becomes essential for accurate valuation, and collectors seeking detailed grading methodology should reference our comprehensive guide How to Grade Kennedy Half Dollar for visual comparisons across all condition levels.

 

1998 Half Dollar Value Guides

• 1998-P (Philadelphia Mint)
• 1998-D (Denver Mint)
• 1998-D Proof Like (Denver Mint Special Finish)
• 1998-S Silver Proof DCAM (San Francisco Mint)
• 1998-S Proof DCAM (San Francisco Mint)

The 1998 Kennedy Half Dollar was produced across multiple facilities with distinct striking methods, creating varied availability in today’s collector market.

Business strikes from Philadelphia and Denver represent the most accessible varieties, while Denver’s experimental Proof Like finish offers a unique intermediate category between circulation coins and formal proofs.

San Francisco concentrated on proof production with both silver and clad compositions, each achieving Deep Cameo contrast that became standard for the era.

These production differences directly influence current market values, with mint facility, composition, and special finishing techniques serving as primary determinants of collector interest and pricing premiums.

 

1998-P Half Dollar Value

The 1998-P half dollar demonstrates the investment dynamics of modern American coinage, where technical preservation trumps age or mintage rarity in determining market value.

Despite Philadelphia’s production of 15.6 million pieces, creating abundant availability in average conditions, the coin’s copper-nickel clad composition shows contact marks readily, making pristine survivors genuinely scarce.

Market performance reveals dramatic value escalation based purely on condition: circulated examples remain near 50-cent face value, while mint state specimens begin commanding premiums around MS64.

The pricing structure accelerates rapidly in higher grades, with MS66 examples trading for $75-106, MS67 specimens reaching $95-300, and the rare MS68 examples achieving $1,000-1,500 at auction.

Population data supports these valuations – professional grading services have certified fewer than 25 examples in MS68 condition combined, from millions of coins originally produced. This represents a survival rate of less than 0.0002% in the top grade, creating genuine condition rarity that operates independently of the coin’s substantial original mintage.

The 1998-P also benefits from series positioning within the Kennedy half dollar collecting landscape. As one of the final business strikes produced before the denomination’s transition to collector-only status in 2002, it represents the end of an era when half dollars maintained their traditional mint set role.

This historical context, combined with Philadelphia’s reputation for quality strikes during the late 1990s, positions the coin favorably among type collectors seeking representative examples of the series’ modern period.