2027 Paralympic Half Dollar Designs Under Review by CCAC

The Half Dollar Gets a New Purpose: Celebrating Paralympic Sports

Starting in 2027, the U.S. half dollar will be redesigned annually to feature Paralympic sports — sports tailored to athletes with physical impairments, vision impairments, and intellectual impairments. Like the Youth Sports Quarters program, this was authorized by Public Law 116-330 (the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020), and designs are being developed in consultation with U.S. Paralympics.

What We Know About the 2027 Design

• Sport: The first coin will honor wheelchair basketball
• Obverse: A new image of John F. Kennedy — different from the current Kennedy portrait — will appear on the obverse from 2027 through 2030
• Design review: Both the CCAC and CFA have reviewed design proposals. A CFA presentation from January 2026 shows Kennedy obverse and Paralympic design candidates under consideration.
• Duration: One Paralympic sport per year from 2027 through 2030

Why This Matters

This is the first time the U.S. Mint has dedicated an entire circulating coin series to Paralympic sports and athletes with disabilities. The program follows a broader trend of expanding representation on U.S. coinage — from the American Women Quarters to the Semiquincentennial's diverse historical figures.

It's also noteworthy that Kennedy returns to the half dollar after the 2026 Enduring Liberty interlude, but with a new portrait. The current Kennedy design has been largely unchanged since 1964 (with minor modifications in 1977 and 2014). A redesigned Kennedy obverse paired with Paralympic reverse designs gives collectors something genuinely new.

The Half Dollar's Recent History

The half dollar has had a complicated relationship with circulation. While still produced, half dollars rarely circulate in everyday commerce. They're primarily collected, used in casinos, and distributed through banks on request. The Paralympic program gives the denomination renewed cultural relevance and collecting appeal.

Future designs (2028-2030) have not been announced, but additional Paralympic sports will be featured each year. We'll update this thread as the CCAC and CFA finalize their selections.