what 50 cent pieces are silver

[DelJordan]

Hey there! That's a great question, as the silver content in 50-cent pieces has changed a lot over the years. It's helpful to know which ones to look out for.

To keep it simple, any United States half dollar minted in 1964 or earlier is made of 90% silver. This covers several popular designs, including the Barber Half Dollar (1892-1915), the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947), the Franklin Half Dollar (1948-1963), and the first year of the Kennedy Half Dollar from 1964.

After that, there was a transitional period. From 1965 to 1970, the Kennedy Half Dollars contained a reduced amount of silver, specifically 40%. These are often referred to as silver-clad coins.

Beginning in 1971 and continuing to the present day, the 50-cent pieces intended for circulation contain no silver at all. They are made from a copper-nickel composition. While the US Mint does produce some modern silver proof and collector's edition half dollars, the coins you'd find in everyday change from 1971 onward will not be silver.