I have reviewed several thousand JFK halves obtained in bank mint boxes. I am finding more and more damaged coins in these rolls, due, I believe, to Kennedy Half coin handling equipment. In my estimation, based only on examining the last 20,000 JFK Half coins obtained in these mint boxes, 15% to 20% of the coins I have examined tend to exhibit some level of damage.
In our last group we found that of 100 rolls of JFK Halves obtained in the most recent group of bank boxes, there were 46 rolls which clearly showed the concentric circle damage to either one or the other end coins. 408 of the 2,000 coins in total exhibited either the concentric circle or the rim damage, making the coin of no numismatic value. 312 of these coins showed severe damage.
As these coins continue to circulate and to recirculate, in my opinion we will see further damage to the coins as a result of the handing issues. It is quite conceivable that within a few years, most circulating JFK half dollar coins will exhibit this equipment handling damage, and finding undamaged specimens through circulation will become more and more difficult.
As a result, I expect to see JFK halves increase in value. When you combine this with the fact that the US mint in 2002 drasticallly reduced both production and distribution, the reasons for these coins rapid appreciation becomes evident.