The 50-cent piece went viral once, but lost currency

Today’s question: I was describing something the other day as the size of a 50cent piece, but then I realized I have not seen one in years. Do they still make them? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen a half-dollar piece for a long time, either.

There are a few good reasons for that.

For starters, for the last several years the United States Mint has only produced enough 50-cent pieces to satisfy collectors, and in the great scheme of things that’s not many.

Next, what are you going to do with a 50-cent coin? They still are perfectly good legal tender, but when was the last time you saw a coin-operated machine or a parking meter that took one?

When the Kennedy half dollars were first produced in 1964, people lined up around the block to get one.

Everyone wanted them for their sentimental value, and because they contained 90 percent silver.

Even after the silver content was cut to 40 percent in 1965 people still hoarded them.

In 1971 the silver was cut out all together and the coins were made — and still are — with a mix of 25 percent nickel around a copper core.

What it comes down to is that aside from collectors nobody wants them.

What does it take for something to be considered “going viral?”

One rule of the thumb is 5 million views in three to seven days.

On the other hand, if you do a blog about elm disease in rutabagas and have 50 followers and all 50 read something you posted you could say it went viral.