are there silver 50 cent pieces

[ElijahLynn]

Ah, the fifty-cent question! The short answer is yes, but it's not quite that simple. Finding a silver half dollar is all about checking the date, so don't go spending that inheritance on a pocketful of coins from last year.

Think of it as a historical treasure hunt. If you find a half dollar dated 1964 or earlier, you've hit the jackpot! These coins, including the first-year Kennedy Half Dollars and their predecessors like the Franklin and Walking Liberty designs, are made of a glorious 90% silver.

Then, from 1965 to 1970, the U.S. Mint got a bit more frugal. The Kennedy Half Dollars from this period are "silver-clad," meaning they contain only 40% silver. It's like the diet version of a silver coin—still has some of the good stuff, but not the full-flavor experience.

After 1970, the silver party was over for coins meant for circulation. Any half dollar you get in your change today, minted from 1971 onward, is made of a copper-nickel alloy with zero silver content. However, the U.S. Mint does still produce special silver proof versions specifically for collectors, so shiny new silver half dollars do exist, you just won't find them hiding in a vending machine.