A 1964 Kennedy half dollar is 90 percent silver and worth roughly $11 to $18 for its metal, depending on the silver price. Halves dated 1965 through 1970 are 40 percent silver and worth about $4 to $7. From 1971 on, circulation Kennedy halves are copper-nickel clad and worth face value, 50 cents, unless they are an uncommon variety, a proof or in top uncirculated grade. Most of the Kennedy halves in drawers and coin jars fall into one of those three buckets, and the date alone tells you which.
The 1964 coin is the one people ask about most. It was released a few months after President Kennedy's death in November 1963, and millions of Americans saved it as a keepsake rather than spending it. That is why so many survive in good shape, and also why a typical 1964 half is worth its silver rather than a collector premium. The Mint struck more than 425 million of them across Philadelphia and Denver.
The exceptions are a short list: the 1964 accented hair proof, the 1970-D, a few doubled dies, and silver proofs. Everything else is metal or face value.
The three metal periods
1964: 90 percent silver
Each 1964 half weighs 12.5 grams and contains 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver. Melt value is 0.3617 times the spot price:
- At $30 silver, about $10.85
- At $40 silver, about $14.47
- At $50 silver, about $18.09
Dealers buy circulated 1964 halves at or slightly below melt. Uncirculated coins bring a small premium. The silver price moves daily, so check spot before selling.
1965 to 1970: 40 percent silver
When silver prices rose, the Mint dropped dimes and quarters to clad in 1965 but kept a reduced amount of silver in the half dollar. These coins have an outer layer of 80 percent silver bonded to a core of about 21 percent silver, for 40 percent overall. Each contains 0.1479 troy ounces of silver:
- At $30 silver, about $4.44
- At $40 silver, about $5.92
- At $50 silver, about $7.40
The 1970-D is the one date in this group with a real premium. It was struck only for Mint sets, about 2.2 million coins, and is worth roughly $15 to $30 in typical uncirculated condition.
1971 onward: clad
From 1971 the half is copper-nickel clad with no silver. Circulated coins are worth 50 cents. Since 2002, the Mint has not released Kennedy halves into general circulation, selling them in rolls and bags to collectors instead. Recent-date rolls sell for a modest premium over face value, but a single worn modern half is still a 50 cent coin.
The 1976 halves with the dual date 1776-1976 and Independence Hall on the reverse follow the same rule as the bicentennial quarter: clad for circulation, with 40 percent silver versions made only at San Francisco for collectors.
How to tell silver from clad
The edge settles it in seconds. Look at the coin from the side:
- Solid silver-gray edge: 90 percent silver, a 1964
- Silver edge with a faint, thin gray or coppery line: 40 percent silver, 1965 to 1970
- Bright, obvious copper stripe: clad, 1971 or later
Weight confirms it. A 1964 half weighs 12.5 grams, a 40 percent half 11.5 grams, and a clad half about 11.34 grams. A kitchen scale can separate the 1964 from the rest but not easily the 40 percent from clad, so use the date and edge together.
Mint marks
- 1964: on the reverse, below the eagle's left claw, the one holding the olive branch. D means Denver, no letter means Philadelphia.
- 1965 to 1967: no mint marks at all.
- 1968 onward: on the obverse, just above the date. P, D or S.
A 1964-D and a 1964 Philadelphia half are worth the same in circulated condition.
The 1964 accented hair variety
Early 1964 proof halves were struck from dies that showed heavy, deeply cut lines in Kennedy's hair above the ear. Jacqueline Kennedy reportedly did not like the look, and the design was softened. Proofs struck before the change are called accented hair.
Signs of an accented hair proof:
- Strong, distinct lines in the hair just above the ear and toward the part
- The lower left serif of the I in LIBERTY is weak or missing
Only proofs carry this variety. A business-strike 1964 half with strong hair detail is just a well-struck coin. Accented hair proofs are worth roughly $40 to $100 in typical proof grades and much more in top cameo grades. A sharp macro of the hair and the I in LIBERTY is the photo that answers this. For a coin with deep cameo contrast, PCGS or NGC grading is worth the fee.
Proofs and special sets
- 1964 proofs: struck in Philadelphia with mirror fields, worth roughly $15 to $25 in normal grades, more with strong cameo contrast.
- 1965 to 1967 Special Mint Sets: not true proofs but better than circulation strikes. Usually worth about the silver plus a few dollars.
- 1968-S to 1970-S proofs: 40 percent silver, typically $8 to $20 each.
- 1992 onward silver proofs: the Mint issued 90 percent silver proof halves in silver proof sets, worth their silver plus a modest premium.
- 1998-S matte finish: a special silver half from a commemorative set, worth roughly $150 to $250.
Clad proofs from 1971 onward are usually worth $3 to $10 each.
Errors and varieties worth checking
- 1974-D doubled die obverse: doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST, a premium variety
- Off-center strikes and wrong planchets: dramatic errors can be worth $50 to several hundred dollars
- 1964 Special Mint Set: a tiny number exist with satin surfaces, worth five figures, and they are rarely found outside known collections
Most suspected doubling on Kennedy halves is machine doubling, a flat shelf-like shadow that adds nothing. True doubled dies show rounded, separate second images.
Value by year range
These approximate ranges assume silver at roughly $30 to $50 per ounce.
| Coin | Circulated | Uncirculated | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 and 1964-D | $11-18 (melt) | $12-22 | $15-25 |
| 1964 accented hair proof | - | - | $40-100+ |
| 1965-1969 (40% silver) | $4-7 (melt) | $5-10 | $8-20 (1968-1969 S) |
| 1970-D | $12-20 | $15-30 | - |
| 1970-S proof | - | - | $10-25 |
| 1971 onward, circulation | 50 cents | 50 cents-$3 | $3-10 (clad) |
| 1976-S 40% silver | - | $6-10 | $7-12 |
| 1998-S matte finish | - | - | $150-250 |
Top-graded uncirculated coins, MS67 and above, can sell for hundreds or more for certain dates, but those coins are nearly always already in grading holders.
Photos that answer the question
- A side view of the edge, to show silver or a copper stripe
- The date and mint mark, straight on
- For any 1964 proof, a macro of the hair above the ear and the I in LIBERTY
- A scale reading to 0.1 gram if the edge is unclear
If the halves came with other silver change, the Mercury dime guide and the inherited coins guide explain how to price the rest.