Editor’s Note: For nearly 70 years, the feature-rich pages of Coins magazine, Numismatic News’ venerable sister publication, have tracked the history, fun and the growth of this great hobby, while also attracting new collectors to pursue what was once deemed the “hobby of kings.” Dusting off these time-aged issues, from the early 1960s and beyond, each installment of “Past Times with Coins,” written by its former longtime editor, explores what nuggets of interest they contain.
The contents page of the March 1964 issue of Coins magazine noted that “This is the second month the cover of Coins Magazine has carried the face of the late President Kennedy. Last month it was an expression of grief, echoed from the hearts of the American people. This month it is in memory – the 1964 Kennedy half dollar which will keep the President alive for the future.”
Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, and the story of how the
