silver fifty-cent piece

[CassidyFitz]

Hello there! That's a great question about a classic piece of American currency. When people refer to a silver fifty-cent piece, they are typically talking about older United States half-dollars.

Based on the provided information, there is a whole category of "90% Silver Half Dollar Coins" that are highly sought after by collectors and investors. This means that for a significant period, the fifty-cent pieces minted in the U.S. were made of 90% silver and 10% copper. This composition applies to all half-dollars minted for circulation up to and including the year 1964. This includes famous designs like the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947), the Franklin Half Dollar (1948-1963), and the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar.

After that, the amount of silver in the coins was reduced. From 1965 to 1970, Kennedy half-dollars contained only 40% silver. Since 1971, any fifty-cent pieces you might find in your change are made of a copper-nickel blend and contain no silver at all. So, if you have a half-dollar dated 1964 or earlier, you've got one of the classic silver fifty-cent pieces