The 2027 Kennedy Half Dollar: New Portrait, Wheelchair Basketball
Final design, announced 26 October 2026
The 2027 Kennedy half dollar pairs a new portrait of John F. Kennedy, the first since 1964, with Paralympic wheelchair basketball on the reverse. The U.S. Mint published both designs on 26 October 2026. It is the first of four Paralympic sports half dollars, one a year through 2030.
The new Kennedy portrait
For the first time since 1964 the half dollar gets a new portrait of John F. Kennedy. The U.S. Mint describes it as Kennedy "gazing skyward with a warm and hopeful expression." LIBERTY arcs over the portrait, E PLURIBUS UNUM sits at the left, IN GOD WE TRUST at the right, and HALF DOLLAR along the bottom rim. The portrait stays on the half dollar for all four years, 2027 through 2030.
That wording matches the Mint's description of candidate JFK-04 word for word. JFK-04 was the Commission of Fine Arts' choice, its design #4; the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee had recommended JFK-02, a portrait it felt paired well with its Washington pick. The CFA liked JFK-04's hopeful expression and its closeness to the 1964 design, and said plainly that it still found the 1964 portrait better than any of the new ones. CoinNews credits the design to Beth Zaiken of the Mint's Artistic Infusion Program and the sculpting to Craig A. Campbell.
The 2027 reverse: wheelchair basketball
The reverse shows a Paralympic wheelchair basketball player driving forward with the ball, the chair's wheel in the foreground. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA arcs along the left, and WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL and 2027 run down the right. The figure is an adult athlete: the half dollar honors Paralympic sports, not youth sports.
The finished design matches 50c-WCBB-01, the CCAC's choice, which scored 27 of 33 points. The committee had asked for the ball to be drawn as a Molten, the official game ball of Paralympic wheelchair basketball. The CFA preferred its design #7, two players with the ball set into the lettering, and that design was not used. CoinNews credits the reverse to Walter O'Neal III of the Artistic Infusion Program, sculpted by Eric David Custer.
Four years, four Paralympic sports
Public Law 116-330 gives the half dollar a new reverse each year from 2027 to 2030, each one emblematic of a sport for athletes with physical, vision or intellectual impairments, chosen in consultation with U.S. Paralympics. The U.S. Mint has named all four:
| Year | Paralympic sport |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Wheelchair basketball |
| 2028 | Para climbing |
| 2029 | Para ice hockey |
| 2030 | Para snowboarding |
The half dollars are part of the Mint's Youth Sports Coin Collection, alongside the five Youth Sports Quarters each year. See the 2027 quarters.
Getting a 2027 Kennedy half dollar
The U.S. Mint's 2027 Proof Set lists "One Kennedy half dollar (new)" alongside the 2027 Youth Sports Quarters, shipping in 2027. Release dates for circulation strikes, rolls and other products had not been announced as of 31 October 2026. Half dollars rarely turn up in change, so most collectors buy them in rolls, bags or sets.
Frequently asked questions
- What is on the 2027 Kennedy half dollar?
- A new portrait of John F. Kennedy gazing skyward on the obverse, and Paralympic wheelchair basketball on the reverse. The U.S. Mint published both designs on 26 October 2026.
- Is the 2027 half dollar part of the Youth Sports Coin Collection?
- Yes. The Mint's Youth Sports Coin Collection covers five quarters a year and one Paralympic sports half dollar a year from 2027 through 2030.
- Is the wheelchair basketball design about kids?
- No. The quarters honor youth sports, but the half dollar honors Paralympic sports, and the 2027 design shows an adult Paralympic athlete.
- What sports will the later half dollars show?
- Para climbing in 2028, para ice hockey in 2029 and para snowboarding in 2030, according to the U.S. Mint.
- How can I get the 2027 Kennedy half dollar?
- The U.S. Mint lists a new Kennedy half dollar in its 2027 Proof Set. Release dates and other products had not been announced as of 31 October 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Mint press release, United States Mint Announces New Circulating Coin Program: Designs for 2027 Coins Shared Publicly for the First Time (26 October 2026)
- U.S. Mint media kit, Youth Sports Coin Collection (final 2027 designs and the 2027 to 2030 lineup)
- CoinNews, US Mint Unveils 2027 Kennedy Half Dollar (27 October 2026)
- Public Law 116-330, Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act (enrolled bill H.R. 1923)
- CCAC letter to the Treasury Secretary on the 2027 Paralympic half dollar reverse
- CCAC minutes, public meeting of 24 February 2026
- U.S. Commission of Fine Arts letter on the 2027 Paralympic half dollar reverse (27 February 2026)
- CFA presentation, 2027 Paralympic Sports Half Dollar reverse candidate designs (PDF)
- CCAC letter on the 2027-2030 Kennedy half dollar obverse (24 November 2025)
- U.S. Commission of Fine Arts letter on the 2027-2030 Kennedy half dollar obverse
- U.S. Mint design descriptions, 2027-2030 Paralympic Sports Half Dollar candidates
- U.S. Mint, Proof Set Subscription (2027 Proof Set)
Last verified: 31 October 2026. The 2027 designs are final, announced by the U.S. Mint on 26 October 2026. Release dates, mintages and products are added here when the Mint announces them.