silver fifty-cent pieces

[SanFinn]

The United States fifty-cent piece, commonly known as the half dollar, has a long history of being minted with a high silver content. For much of its existence, from its inception in 1794 through 1964, the circulating half dollar was composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. These 90% silver coins are often sought by collectors and investors for their bullion value.

The composition of the coin changed due to the rising price of silver in the mid-1960s. Following the Coinage Act of 1965, the silver content in the Kennedy half dollar was reduced. From 1965 to 1970, these coins were produced with a debased silver composition, consisting of an outer cladding of 80% silver and 20% copper bonded to an inner core, resulting in a total composition of 40% silver.

Beginning in 1971, the U.S. Mint eliminated silver entirely from the circulating half dollar, switching to the same copper-nickel clad composition used for dimes and quarters. While silver is no longer used for business-strike half dollars intended for circulation, the U.S. Mint continues to produce special silver proof versions for collectors, often struck in 90% or 99.9% silver.