are 1971 half dollars silver

[VonIsabella]

Hello there! That's an excellent question, as the composition of half dollars changed right around that time.

For the vast majority of 1971 half dollars, the answer is no, they are not made of silver. The Kennedy half dollars that were made for general circulation starting in 1971 are "copper-nickel clad" coins. This means they have a pure copper core sandwiched between two layers of a copper-nickel alloy, which gives them a silver-like appearance but contains no actual silver.

This was a significant change from the coins made between 1965 and 1970, which were composed of 40% silver.

However, there is a special exception for collectors. In 1971, the San Francisco Mint produced special proof and uncirculated versions of the Kennedy half dollar specifically for collector sets. These particular coins, which would have an "S" mint mark, were struck in the older 40% silver composition. These were not intended for circulation, so it's highly unlikely to find one in your pocket change.

So, to sum it up, unless you have a special collector's coin from a proof or mint set, a 1971 half dollar you come across is made of a copper-nickel blend, not silver.